Kingdom Hearts: The Battle for the Kingdom Stone
by Crankdat Frodo
Summary: Before Maleficent was driven out of Disney Castle, she stole something very precious and extremely powerful. Now, using that power, it could mean the destruction of all the worlds. Can Sora, Donald, Goofy and some new team members bring back peace..again?
1. Power

A chill blew through the still night air. Taran, Fflewddur, Gurgi and Princess Elioway had long since departed the Horned King's castle after reigning victorious over the villain himself- the menace that had terrorized the lands for far too many years. All in pursuit for a cauldron. But, this cauldron was no ordinary pot. This cauldron had the power to rule the world. Blinded by greed, the Horned King had gone through desperate measures to secure the cauldron in his grasp, only to have its power turned on him at the end.

The Horned King floated, trapped inside the cauldron. He had tried many times to escape, but he knew for it to be futile. The cauldron was too powerful for him. He swore and cursed at those two kids, a shaggy sort of creature and an old man. The mere thought of this fuelled his rage, a source for his horrible magic. Feasting on his fury, the Horned King summoned a vast amount of power and strength, his anger increasing faster then his immense powers.

"RELEASE ME!" He bellowed. A flash of white hot power exploded from his body, blasting him out of the cauldron. Disoriented, the clanking of nearby chains brought his vision back into focus. A wave of triumph passed through him. He was finally free! Free to take his revenge out on that filthy boy and his friends. He raised his hands in the air to summon his power- but it didn't work. The Horned King brought his hands back down and tried to produce a single spark. Nothing occurred. Throbbing fury and icy fear shot through him. Without his powers, he was nothing. He would never be able to unleash his revenge into the world. Without his powers, he would never be able to manipulate the powers of the Black Cauldron, something he had been destined to do. He paced the room, torn robes hanging off his skeletal frame. There had to be a solution- but what? He stopped suddenly. A smirk would be extremely prominent on his face if he had the skin to show if. To get his powers back, he would have to strike a deal with the devil himself. He would have to serve the most powerful villain in the history of creation. Which suited him fine. This dark force would never lose.

He would have to find Chernabog.  
But where to start?  
Luckily, he had heard rumors.

*****

In the meantime, a tall dark woman concealed in black and purple robes and a green pallor strode across the hall in a dark ruined castle. The state of her hideout wasn't the very bottom of her annoyances, but one thing overruled it all. Sora. Donald. Goofy. Mickey. Those four names had the power to send her into an uncontrolled fury.

But, she could do something about it.

"Your evilness!" Gasped an immensely fat creature as he finally caught up to her.

"Pete." Maleficent said curtly. There were times (like now) that she wished that she had killed the clingy mutt a long time ago. But there were times that he had proved to be useful. So, she kept him around.

"Just wondering...are we going to stay in this castle for the rest of our lives?" Her temper flared. How dare he question her plans!

"No Pete. If you are so curious, maybe I should send YOU to the mountain tonight." Pete dropped to the floor, trembling.

"Oh your evilness! Don't send me to his Mightiness!"

"If you're good...then I'll find the compassion in me to spare you."

"But, your evilness...it won't be long before King Mickey-"

"Mickey is almost as stupid as you, you fool. I WILL have kingdom hearts in my grasp this time."

"But your ladyship, with-"

"DON'T SAY THEIR NAMES!" Maleficent screamed green fire consumed her. Pete yelped and jumped back, tripping over his own apologies. She spoke again as the fire around her died down.

"Those fools won't know who they're dealing with this time. We have...a bit of leverage with us this time."

"His Mightiness Chernabog?" Pete asked.

"No. Tell me Pete, use your brain. Chernabog was dead. I brought him back. What is the one thing that could do that?"

"Your powers?" Pete said hestiently. Maleificent cackled.

"Try this!" With a flourish, Maleficent produced a swhite palm sized stone, shaped like a keyhold. It noticeably shined and sparkled every colour of the rainbow.

"The kingdom stone?" Pete said, truly in awe. He had only heard stories about the stone.

*****

The Horned Kings scruffy robe dragged on the floor, as each step he took it became even more frail and ragged. He was making his way to the place where the one he was searching for, would surely be. He pulled up his disheveled hood so no one could see his face; if anyone were to recognize him, he would not be able to use his once vast amount of power in defence, or offense.

*****

Maléfique. The name of the infamous pub with hardly any customers. The outside was un-kept with rotten wood, a holy patched roof and spider webs hanging from every corner. There was even a filthy looking skull you could see through the dusty window.

The Horned King put a bony hand on the mushy wood door and pushed it open. The pub was located in Paris, France and was littered with various villains, either pushing or shouting at each other, or just enjoying a rather civil drink with each other as they discussed their enemies and how to over throw them. The Horned King drew himself up at the bar, ignoring the bartender when he asked him (or grunted at him) if he wanted a drink. It was pointless for him to drink. He had no stomach to store the burning liquid in. Instead, he leaned over and whispered.  
"I'm looking for Maleficent." The bartender looked up.

"Haven't seen her since she opened the place a couple years ago." The bartender looked at him suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"My identity is of no concern to you." The Horned King spat. The bartender turned away, slapping his damp rag on the moldy table muttering, 'villains'.

"Is there anyone here that would know where she is?" The Horned King demanded. The bartender leaned towards him, an evil glint in his flat black eyes.

"What's in it for me?" The horned king shot out a fleshless hand and wrapped it around the bartender's neck.

"You get to keep your life. How's that for payment?" He hissed. He felt the bartender's adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. Breaking out in sweat, he gestured over to the corner.

"There...the cloaked woman in the corner." The Horned King turned his gaze towards the corner the bartender was pointing at.

"Who is that?"

"Lady Tremaine." The bartender gasped as the Horned King squeezed harder on his throat. He let his hand drop after the bartender said her name.

"Cinderella's stepmother?" The bartender nodded quickly.

"Yeah. Been hanging out here a lot since Cinderella's rescue from Maleficent a couple years ago. It's been said she joined Maleficent and that she gathers recruits here, if they look like they hold promise." The Horned King stood up from his stool and walked towards the cloaked figure, without even uttering a thank you to the bartender.

****

"What do you think you're doing? Don't touch me you piece of filth!" Lady Tremaine's voice was bold and sharp at the same time. She brushed away his boney hand and took a defence step back.

"You, if you want to ever take another breath again, I'd suggest you tell me the whereabouts of Maleficent." He took a step closer and stared wickedly at Lady Tremaine. They stared at each other for awhile until they came to an understanding.

"Fine, Maleficent is in the back. I'll bring you to her, it's this way." The Horned King watched her snobbishly lead him behind the bar and into a dark room with an odd, green, smog enveloping the whole floor.

"What are you doing here?! Get rid of this preposterous looking thing and be gone at once! I'm busy!" Maleficent waved her had smoothly as to gesture them to leave.

"But Maleficent, I have only come here on this person's demand, I thought he may be of some use to you. I will leave now nevertheless." Lady Tremaine smiled as she walked out of the room. She was hoping The Horned King would be punished for wasting Maleficent's time. Nonetheless, even if he wasn't punished and instead accepted, she would be the one taking credit for finding him.

****

After Lady Tremaine's departure, Maleficent turned narrowed eyes towards the bony filth standing before her.  
"You want to join me? Well then, what can you offer me?" She asked smoothly, picked up her staff, lighting a threatening green light. The Horned King wanted to shake. Malficent was ruthless. If he couldn't impress her, she wouldn't hesitant in killing him in the most horrible way possible. Somehow, he found the strength to stand still.

"Milady, I can offer you the power of the black cauldron." Maleficent's flame on her staff flickered slightly. The Horned King took that as a good sign. "The Black Cauldron is an ultimate power source. It can create a giant army of unstoppable soldiers, with enough power to overthrow any enemy- no matter how powerful." The flame on Maleficent's staff faded to a faint glow.

"Your proposition interests me. I accept your offer and decide not to kill you. Now, where is this Black Cauldron."

"In order for me to join your team, Lady Maleficent and harness the powers of the Black Cauldron, I require your help." Maleficent flame sparked.

"What?" Her demand was cold, sharp and biting.

"My powers. I've heard that the mighty Chernabog has been resurrected and freed. He holds the power to restore my powers." He noticed Maleficent's glowering look. "I swear milady, the Black Cauldron is worth it. It will contribute much power to your plot." Malfeicent drew her head up high, flame lighting up her staff again.

"Very well. But, one wrong move filth and I will kill you." The Horned King nodded tersely. This was his only chance for redemption. He would have to be careful. Maleficent slammed her staff three times on the floor, leaving scorch marks each time it made contact with the granite. The Horned King vaguely noticed the black marks spotted all around the smoky room before the room seem to shrink, extend and then spiral away.

****

As soon as the Horned King's vision came into focus again, he found himself immersed in complete darkness. A clap of thunder sounded, followed by a crackle of lightning, lighting up the area around him. A huge, dark cave was revealed in the flash of light.

"This is where Chernabog is." Maleficent said, gesturing in. "Tell him I sent you. But note this- it isn't always enough…" The Horned King trembled. He had no powers. He was defenceless. Nevertheless, he had come this far now. Turning towards where he thought the direction of the cave was, he tried to stride confidently towards the mouth of the cave. He promptly crashed into a hard stone wall.

"Fool!" Maleficent barked, slamming her staff three times on the floor again. The green flame appeared on her staff again, lighting up the area around them with a ghoulish light. Her purple eyes sparked. "Go on now. Before I change my mind and kill you before Chernabog can." The Horned King nodded quickly, and scurried into the cave. If he had a heart, it would be pounding. He crept along the grimy cave, listening hard for any scrapes or bumps that would alert him to Chernabog's presence.

"WHO GOES THERE?" A voice bellowed. The voice was so loud, it made the entire cave shake.

"The H-H-Horned King, Master Chernabog." The Horned King stammered, quickly bowing in the general direction of the voice. Chernabog was still concealed from view by the rocks in the cave, or he was choosing not to be shown. "Maleficent sent me."

"And why do you think that will save you?" Chernabog hissed. "No one is allowed in here, except Maleficent." A stalagmite crashed to the floor, inches away from the Horned King. He swallowed. He would have to act fast.

"Please sir, hear me out. If you would so humbly accept me as your servant, I have the power to help her evilness free you from this wretched cave." The cave fell silent.

"What powers do you posses?" Came Chernabog's demand.

"My league, I am the one who can control the Black Cauldron."

"The Black Cauldron." Came the hissing reply. "You're telling me, that you, a piece of filth can control the mighty powers of the Black Cauldron?"

"Yes, my Mightiness." The Horned King said, infusing his voice with the utmost respect.

"Show me."

"I cannot, your Mightiness. I- I was defeated by my enemy and thrown into the Cauldron. I managed to escape, but only at the cost of my power. I was hoping that my Lord Chernabog could restore my powers so I would be able to help him rid himself of the curse upon himself."

"Very well," came the hissing reply. "But only on one condition. You live to serve me and no one else, not even Maleficent. You will do what I say, fight who I say to fight. If you break this condition, I will kill you." The Horned King nodded his understanding.

"I promise to kill those who cause you trouble, Master." Suddenly, he was engulfed in blood red smoke. The smoke felt like it was burning him. The Horned King screamed, falling to the floor and writhing in pain. "I promised to serve you! I promised you a great army and this is how you reward me?" He cried. Abruptly, the pain stopped. He pushed himself up, feeling power that he had never known pulse through his veins. Wait- veins? He raised his arms to look at them, shocked to see grey skin covering thick bands of muscles instead of rotted grey bones. He looked over the rest of his body to find it the same- grey skin concealing hard muscle. He looked up in wonder.

"Thank you Master. I live to serve you."

"You better. Now...give Maleficent a message for me. It's time our…enemies come out of hiding."

****

After the Horned King disappeared into the back, the door to Maléfique opened again. An odd hush settled over the pub as two cloaked figures entered the pub, letting the door swing shut behind them. Taking off their cloaks, they walked in as if they owned the place. In some ways, they did. Blythe and Rika were the rulers of the planet Arrow. Not on the side of good, yet not on the side of evil. They tended to drift everywhere, straying to the sides that best benefited them. But, when they did pick sides, it was extremely rare. They preferred to ignore the conflicts surrounding them and usually kept their world from view. Blythe and Rika were well respected in all areas of good and evil, for their off the charts IQ and incredible combat skills.

Blythe and Rika drew up stools by the bar, ordering the green beverage that the pub was famous for.

"How are ya Bob?" Blythe inquired smoothly. The bartender broke into an uneasy smile.

"Been better. Just got threatened by a skeleton." He shook his head, blinking his rather large one eye. "Villains. Honestly, if this place didn't pay good and offer me protection from all evil activities, I would have quit long ago." Blythe nodded politely, downing her shot glass. She turned to Rika, who had already finished hers and was conversing with Cruella De Ville.

"Honestly, those puppies....I WANT MY COAT." Rika only looked remotely interested as she waved down Bob to order another shot for her and Blythe. She glanced at Blythe who was grinning at her predicament.

"Well, I guess you and that coat weren't meant to be." She declared, pushing her friend her drink. Blythe intercepted it neatly, trying not to laugh.

"But I must have that coat!" Cruella insisted.

"Look, Lady, I don't know WHY you're complaining about this to ME who doesn't even KNOW you. If you're so pissed off, go do something about it. So, shut up so I don't have to turn my relaxing evening into a bar fight. Got it?" the menacing tone of Rika's voice caused Cruella to snap her mouth shut. Rika turned back to Blythe.

"Honestly, WHY do we come here?"

"For the products. And it's always fun to knock around a few villains." Blythe said, grinning.

"Very true my friend...Oh so very true." Rika declared, as she and Blythe clicked their glasses together before downing them. Wiping their mouths, Bob replaced their glasses.

"We didn't order anything Bob." Blythe said patiently.

"I know. The Lady over there brought it for you guys. Says she's got a proposition for you." Blythe and Rika craned their necks to see Lady Tremaine sitting at the end of the bar.

"That's not creepy at all..." Rika muttered. "Can I exterminate her?" Blythe shushed her friend.

"I'm going to go see what she wants." She said, slipping off the bar stool and crossing over to the hunched figure of Lady Tremaine.

"Blythe Amadahy." Lady Tremaine said. "Sit."

"I'd rather stand." Blythe answered. Lady Tremaine's sour face turned up in a smirk.

"Very well. I'll cut to the chase then. I have a proposition for you and Rika." Blythe turned her head and motioned Rika to come and join them.

"I know that. What is it?" Blythe asked lazily, as Rika came and stood beside her. Blythe knew that it would be wrong to accept such a decision without Rika hearing the pros and cons as well. It was an unspoken code fiercely obeyed by the two friends.

"Come and join Maleficent." Lady Tremaine said. Rika barked a laugh.

"And why should we do that? We don't need to serve under someone. Our army is much more powerful then hers."

"Exactly." Lady Tremaine said, her lips curling. "Maleficent recognizes your powers. She would be most honoured if you would join her in world conquest."

"What's in it for us?" Blythe asked suspiciously. "You can't honestly expect powerful beings like us to join such a needy cause."

"Five worlds of your choice to rule over." Lady Tremaine said simply. "Just lend us your army and your skills. You won't have to put your beloved dragons at risk." Blythe and Rika stiffened as the word dragons passed Lady Tremaine's lips. The two girls owned four dragons, Dudley, Crusoe, Flair and Eclipse. They kept them hidden away until they were fighting age. But that wasn't what appealed to the girls the most. Five worlds, to rule over and control, with hardly doing anything. They could get five worlds without devastating their army. It was practically a freebie. Blythe and Rika looked at each other, realizing they were thinking the same thing.

"We'll consider it." Rika said, her voice clipped. Lady Tremaine took a long drink of her red wine.

"I'll be waiting for your answer."


	2. Departure and Revelations

"Hey Kairi....Riku...I think it's time for us to go again." A boy with spiky brown hair turned around facing his two friends with a face filled with concern.

"Sora, even if we go to Agrabah, do you think we can do anything to help that world?" Kairi, looked back at Sora with her long, dark red hair floating in the sea breeze.

"Of course Kairi, with me, you and Riku there's nothing we can't do!" Sora attempted a goofy smile and placed his hand on her shoulder. The world seemed to swirl around the two of them as Kairi stepped closer towards him and smiled back goofily.

"Okay you two love birds knock it off. Goofy and Donald are here, look." Riku with a hand on his hip and his other hand pointing behind him, showed a ship made from giant red and yellow Lego came descending onto the sandy beach. The sand swirled around it and into their faces, along with some of the turquoise coloured water from the ocean spin into the mix.

"Sora!" A white duck wearing a blue shirt and a dog of some sort yelled simultaneously as they jumped forward onto Sora. Sora toppled over from Donald and Goofy jumping on top of him; crushing him.

"Okay, okay get off!" Sora shoved Donald and Goofy off as everyone there started to laugh.

"It's been so long, a year maybe two right?" Kairi placed her fingertips together while swaying forward on her tippy toes and grinning. Being reminded of why they had came, everyone started to frown again and went back to business.

"Awww did you get the letter there Sora?" Goofy questioned while scratching his head.

"Agrabah, is it really destroyed? How did that happen?" Sora asked Goofy and Donald while grasping the sand with his hands unknowingly.

"Oooh, I'm sorry Sora." Donald lowered his head and shook it back and forward.

"Shucks Sora, we have to get going. King Mickey is waiting for us at the castle. I'm sure he'll tell us everything." Goofy grasped Sora's hand and helped him up while everyone else headed towards the gummi ship.

"Can we at least drop by Agrabah? Just…to make sure." Goofy and Donald looked at each other and frowned at Sora's request. They both knew nothing would be there.

"Sure, why not." Goofy replied, as the gummi ship started and Donald, Goofy, Sora, Riku and Kairi headed to Agrabah and Disney's Castle.

***

_Riku, Kairi and Sora,_

I know it has been awhile since I last contacted you guys, but we are in dire need of the powers of the keyblade master once again. Agrabah has been destroyed, with it's citizens like Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Abu and the Sultan. I have a suspicion of what did it, but is dangerous to mention in this letter in case it falls into the wrong hands. I'm sorry to ask so much of you again my friends, and I hope you will come and help us. I am sending Donald and Goofy with the Gummi ship to come and pick you up and hear your answer.

Thank you, again.  
- Mickey.

Sora re- read the king's letter, slightly crumpling the paper in his tight, shaking grip. Aladdin. He couldn't really be gone. His heart clenched with grief and worry. A hand covered his own. He looked up to allow a small smile to cross his face at Kairi, who was sitting next to him. She stroked his hand with her thumb.

"It'll be alright Sora." She said softly. Usually, these words could cheer Sora up in an instant (but only if they came from Kairi). But, his grief was overpowering for his lost friend.

"It's not going to be okay Kairi. One of my good friends is possibly dead. He was someone who saved my life numerous times. I- I just want him to be okay!" Sora burst out. Kairi opened her mouth to reply when a huge force struck the gummy ship, causing it to spiral out of control. Sora grabbed Kairi and protectively held her in his arms.

"Donald! Goofy! What's going ON?" He yelled as he watched his two best friends fight for control of the Gummi ship.

"We took a pretty bad hit Sora!" Donald shouted back, yanking the ship control up. Goofy did the same and it finally settled into a steady flight again. Donald and Goofy craned their necks to look at their surroundings through the big front window, trying to identify what hit them.

"Gawrsh..." Goofy murmured, his voice dry with shock. Donald just stared.

"Sora...I think you should come and see this." He said, his raspy voice quavering. Sora let go of Kairi and clambered up to the front controls with Donald and Goofy. What he saw brought a whole new wave of grief crashing over him. Attacking Destiny Islands, was an enormous heartless monster. But, there was something strange about this heartless. Instead of his eyes being a dull yellow, as the group was accustomed to, they were a shocking blood red.

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS WAITING FOR? ATTACK!" Sora roared. Goofy seized the blasters on the ship and started firing plasma lasers at their target. It did nothing.

"It's no use!" Riku shouted, who had joined Sora at the front.

"Let me down!" Sora bellowed, summoning the keyblade to his hand. Goofy and Donald shook their heads.

"We can't risk you Sora." Goofy said. "If our lasers can't do anything about it, what makes you think you can?"

"I don't care! That's my home it's destroying! Our home!" Sora cried, as he watched the heartless open his mouth and discharge massive amounts of poison green flames. He felt sick as he witnessed people thrashing and screaming as they burned in the flames. The exact same green flames Maleficent's dragon form had used.

"Maleficent." Riku, Donald, Goofy and Sora said in unison. Sora trembled in fury.

"How dare she." He said through gritted teeth, holding on to the back of Donald's seat as Goofy swerved around, still shooting lasers at the monster, while Donald yelled at him where to hit them. They had literally tried everywhere, the eyes, the mouth, the heart, the head, the stomach...

"Try between the legs!" Donald screamed.

"That ain't gonna work!" Goofy yelled back, swerving the ship so that the monster narrowly missed it.

"It might be a guy!" Donald frantically yelled back. Goofy shot the monster between the legs. It didn't work either.

"It's female." Goofy snapped, shutting Donald up. The entire cabin fell silent. No one had ever heard Goofy sound that angry and distressed before. Sora reached over and patted Goofy on the shoulder.

"Goof..." His shoulders sagged.

"Gawrsh. I'm sorry Sora. I don't think we can save Destiny Islands." Sora nodded, a lump forming in his throat. He heard Kairi crying silently behind him and when he looked at Riku, he saw that his eyes were shining with tears he refused to shed. Sora slipped into his old spot between Goofy and Donald and Riku turned to go and sit in the seat beside Kairi. Sora took up steering, feeling the familiar vibration of the control stick as he expertly maneuvered them into the sky, unwillingly leaving Destiny Islands to its destruction.

***

Two hours later, Sora landed the Gummi ship in the ruins of Agrabah.

"Oh no..." He muttered as he hurriedly pressed the button to open the Gummi Ship. He, Donald and Goofy immediately jumped out, and started to scream "ALADDIN! ABU! GENIE! JASMINE!" the marketplace, usually a beige and gold colour and filled with venders and conversation was now a dull grey. Random vending carts and ripped curtains lay littered around. Breathing hard, the three friends raced to Aladdin's hideout, while screaming the four names. Climbing as Aladdin showed them to do so long ago, they swung themselves into the hiding place. What they saw there, was shocking. The place was in shambles, as if someone had put up a tough fight against whatever was attacking them.

"Aladdin!" Sora yelled, pushing random rubble out of the way.

"Sora!" Donald quacked, his voice thick with tears. Sora looking up to see Donald holding something black in his arms. He looked closer and saw a faint purple colouring and furls of gold plaiting along the side.

"C-Carpet?" Sora managed. Donald nodded, gently brushing bits of ash off their beloved carpet.

"I think they're gone Sora." Goofy sniffed. At this comment, Sora flew into a fury.

"No! They can't be gone! They fought! They had Genie! They MUST still be here!" Sora yelled, putting his hands over his ears as if to tune out Goofy and Donald's reasonable doubt.

"ALADDIN! ABU! J-" He stopped suddenly when something red caught his eye. He pushed a random wooden board away, picking up the circular object.

"It's Aladdin's hat!" Donald said. Sora squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his grip on the hat. He knew in his heart that Aladdin and everyone else was gone, his shoulders shaking with unshed sobs, Sora pocketed the hat, and went over to Donald and Goofy, who had laid Carpet out softly onto the floor. Now that Sora could see it, he could see the extent of Carpet's damage. Carpet had literally been severed in half. Where his other half was...they didn't know. He knelt gently on the floor, running his hands over his once animated friend and whispered,

"Carpet, wake up! Please!"

"Please Carpet!" Goofy begged. Donald whispered a healing spell and casted it on Carpet. Miraculously, Sora saw Carpet's corner start to twitch.

"Carpet!" He said joyously, relief washing over him. But Carpet started to thrash and roll, making the tears in the material bigger. "Stop!" Sora cried, as he, Donald and Goofy tried to hold him down. Carpet was shaking and thrashing as if he was having a seizure. The three friends held him down, hoping he'd stop. Eventually he did. But when he stopped, he stopped moving for good. No matter how many healing spells Sora and Donald whispered and combined, Carpet stayed still. Goofy gently rolled up Carpet, as the realization sunk in. Their friend was gone for good this time.

****  
"Oooooh…..carpet." Donald's head sank low as he and everyone except Sora started to head back to the gummi ship.

"Sora, what are you doing moping about? I thought you were better than that." Riku being the last one to enter the gummi ship had turned around at the entrance and looked back at Sora.

"What do you know?! You hadn't even met them!" Sora yelled back as his tears started to flow.

"True, but I thought you were a fighter. There are things you can still do to try to help save them. That's why I thought you'd be the first on the ship to see King Mickey. If you want to stay around here and mourn, that's fine with me." Riku turned around and left the entrance open for Sora. Sora's eyes had grown wide in realization.

"King Mickey….," Sora whispered as he thought to himself. "That's right, if anyone knows what can be done about this, it's King Mickey!!" Sora got up and ran into the gummy ship with anticipation. There was still hope.  
The gummy ship descended into a room filled with gizmos and gadgets in the magical castle of Disney. Three little chipmunks jumped up and down as they waved at the incoming ship. Soon enough they stopped jumping as they saw into the gummy ship, everyone was sad and depressed in there. Even the chipmunks could tell it wasn't the time to be smiling.

"Sora, Donald…Goofy." King Mickey looked up at the three of them with a big frown on his own face. Sora, even before the Gummi ship landed completely, opened the door and jumped out of the ship.

"Mickey, is there anything we can do?! How, how can we save them?!" Sora's eyes had grown big. He grabbed a hold of King Mickey's shoulders while slightly shaking him. Queen Minnie covered her mouth in shock and Daisy shook her head in disappointment.

"Gee I'm sorry Sora. There's nothing I can do." King Mickey shifted his eyes to the ground, refusing to look Sora or the rest in the eyes.

"Please King Mickey! They're my friends, and you know as well as I do. Friends are there for each other. I'm not leaving Aladdin or anyone else to die!" Sora half yelled half pleaded. He wasn't going to let them go just like that. Not until he was positive that there was absolutely nothing he could do to save them.

"Gawrsh Sora, the King's just doing what he thinks is right." Goofy placed his hand on Sora's shoulder and looked at King Mickey, who seemed to have come to a conclusion on what to do.

"Alright Sora, but you and everyone else going has to promise me three things!" King Mickey held up three fingers an inch away from Sora's face. Sora leaned back away from King Mickey's hand in shock.

"Really? You can help? Deal! I'll do whatever you want." Sora's face became a bit relieved. He could finally start to see a stronger flame of hope burning in the distance.

"Wait!" Donald raised a hand in the air. "What are the conditions first?"

"First, I want Kairi to wait here in the castle; it's safer here after all. I assume Riku, you'll be coming with me anyways right?" Riku nodded at the King. It seemed like the King and Riku had a mission of their own.

"Condition two, if the people I'm about to tell you about don't want to work with you, you CAN NOT disobey them or make them the slightest bit angry." Sora, Donald and Goofy looked at each other and gulped in worry. They had an idea that the people they were going to meet were some atrocious and vicious barbarians of some sort.

"A-and the third condition?" Goofy asked weakly.

"Don't do anything reckless, so you come back safely." King Mickey smiled at them all warmly and ran for a hug at a nearly crying Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"Where are we going, and who are we meeting Mickey?" Sora pulled himself away from King Mickey and swiped away his tears.

"You're going to a world called, Arrow." Sora and the rest were confused, they had never heard of such a world before.

They soon found out why.  
It was a world created by two special people…  
who they were now supposed to meet.

The group departed. Queen Minnie, Daisy and a rather tall cow looking lady joined them as soon as they entered the court yard, where Chip and Dale had brought the Gummi Ship along with another sleek black space ship. Mickey stood quietly. He turned towards Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku and Kairi.

"Before you guys lift off, I think I should inform you the point of the mission. Sora, Donald, Goofy, you'll need it to bargain with the people from Arrow." A hush fell over the group. Minnie moved closer to her husband and took his hand into hers, supporting him through whatever emotional turmoil raged in the small, but mighty king.

"Tell them Mickey." She said softly. Mickey nodded, and began his tale.

"When Maleficent invaded our castle, she stole something very precious to me. To the entire universe! I didn't find out about it until Aladdin's world was destroyed. I knew something was off, so I went and checked the room that guards it. I found it in shambles and there was no trace of the precious object it kept. That object is called the Kingdom Stone." Donald and Goofy gasped. Riku, Kairi and Sora showed each other confused glances.

"But your Majesty! I thought you destroyed the Kingdom Stone before the first war with the heartless!" The King looked down in shame.

"I was supposed to. But something compelled me to keep it. It was an object containing the power of pure good. I thought I could use it to keep the universe in check. This is all my fault guys." Sora couldn't bear to see the King in so much pain. He opened his mouth to protest, to say that he did it with only the thought of good in his mind, but Riku beat him to it.

"Your Majesty, this isn't your fault. You wanted to use it for good. Whoever has it now, which I'm guessing is Maleficent, wants for evil. Don't blame yourself for this your Majesty, just tell us how to fix it."

"We need to get it back." Mickey replied, with a steel edge of determination. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, you have proven yourself more then capable in the past, but this is too big for just the three of you. You need to go to Arrow and beg the leaders to join your team. With their help, you should be able to travel to each world again and stop the destruction that is currently befalling every world. We must hurry, or they will fall to the same fate as Agrabah." Hearing the world Agrabah, an idea formed in Sora's head.

"Your Majesty, could the Kingdom Stone fix Agrabah and Destiny Islands?" Mickey shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry Sora, but Destiny Islands is gone for good. There is no power available to bring it back again. Agrabah on the other hand, might be able to be rescued. IF the keyhole in Agrabah is still intact, and IF we combine the Kingdom Stone with your keyblade, we might be able to re-start the world." Sora, Goofy and Donald jumped up, saluting.

"You can count on us your Majesty!" They said in unison. Mickey smiled, looking much more at peace.

"Aw, thank guys!"

"Your Majesty, the ships are ready to disembark!" Chip announced from the loudspeaker. Mickey nodded, and rubbed noses with Minnie. Daisy pulled Donald into a hug and Goofy kissed the cow girl on the cheek (which made her giggle in a way freakishly similar to Goofy). Sora felt a light touch on his shoulder. Turning, he laced his fingers with Kairi.

"Be careful." He said, squeezing her hand. She snorted.

"Like I can get into any danger here! It is I who should be saying be careful." She whispered.

"I worry about you." Sora replied.

"And I worry sick about you." Kairi answered. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"Love you Sora." She said quietly, for their ears only. It WAS a rather private moment. Sora kissed her on the cheek, replying,

"Love you too Kairi." her eyes shone when the words left his mouth. They started to lean towards each other, when...

"EW GROSS! BREAK IT UP YOU TWO LOVEBIRDS!" Riku howled. Goofy and Donald were beside themselves with laughing at Sora's expense. Sora was pretty sure smoke should be coming out of his ears. Still hysterically laughing, Goofy and Donald hooking their arms with Sora and dragged him onto the Gummi Ship and then forcibly threw Sora inside, where he landed on the floor in a heap.

"Bye everyone!" Goofy and Donald said waving. Sora scrambled up just as the ship started to wave goodbye to Kairi before they became so tiny they disappeared from view. As soon that occurred, Donald and Goofy shot smirks in Sora's direction.

"Sora and Kairi sitting in a tree..." Donald sang while Goofy laughed. Sora groaned and buried his face in his hands. He had no idea how he was going to last the entire trip with their taunting. He tried to take the subject off himself.

"So Goofy, you got a girlfriend now?" Sora asked. Goofy shook his head.

"Nope. She's my fiancée." Goofy said proudly. That shocked Sora.

"What?! You're getting married and you didn't even tell me?" He demanded.

"Gawrsh Sora, I was going to tell you, but I kinda forgot." Donald snickered.

"Wait until Clarabelle hears that."

"Aw shucks Donald, don't tell her please!"

"When did you propose?" Sora asked Goofy.

"Uhhhh last week."

"How long have you known her?"

"He's known her for a long time. He just never had the guts to ask her out." Donald smirked. "Apparently she had a crush on him too." Sudden realization dawned on Sora.

"Why aren't you teasing Goofy?"

"Because he and Clarabelle are old news now. We haven't seen you in forever pal!"

"Sora and Kairi sitting in a tree..." Sora moaned and buried his face in his hands again. It was going to be a long trip to Arrow.

***


	3. Arrow and Aliens

"Man, there were no good villains there Blythe." Rika had looked around for a good conversation, but no one there had caught her interest.

"I know! Luckily we're back home." Blythe and Rika looked up at their magnificent home. It was a castle among castles.

"Where's the front door again?" Rika spread her arms out in front of her blindly searching for something to hit in midair.

"Perhaps I should make a device to cancel the invisibility mode?" Their castle was grand, however you would only be able to tell if you could actually see it. There was a fence outlining their property, they had no reason to put a sign 'no trespassing' after all, no one would dare to do so in the first place.

"That would be nice." Rika suddenly walked forward and disappeared into the castle.

"Found the castle...and our lovely dragons~" Blythe perked up and darted into the castle anticipating her reunion with her dragons.

"Eclipse, Flair, did you guys miss me?" Rika cuddled a bit with her two baby dragons. The black as night dragon named eclipse and her fiery dragon that was the colour of a blazing sunset, Flair.

***

"Dudley! Did you eat one of the maids again?" Dudley and Crusoe looked at each other in fret. They quickly flew away along with Eclipse and Flair.

"Typical, which maid was it this time?" Rika looked down the left hall where the dragons escaped to. The lamps in that hall were flickering causing the shadows on the red, velvet carpet seem to dance along the narrow hallway. It was lined with doors leading to various room filled with treasures, experiments and entertainment beyond imagine; all invented by the two.

"I don't know for sure but taking an educational guess I'd say Linda." Rika nodded her head up and down in agreement. Blythe didn't like Linda, and Dudley didn't like Linda, which made it 100% guaranteed that Dudley was going to eat her at one point.

"You should have warned her." Rika said.

"I did." Blythe and Rika looked at each other blankly for a second. Thinking of how questionable the maid was for not leaving while she had the chance. They walked up at the spiraling black stairs up to the second floor. The left side of that floor all belonged to Blythe's room, all of the right side of that floor belonged to Rika's room.

"Night." Rika said to Blythe while yawning a bit afterwards.

"Ni-, did you hear that?" Blythe asked midway through her goodnight. She heard a small knock on the door.

"Maid!!" Rika yelled while walking back to the steps and sitting on one. Blythe followed and sat down beside her.

"Wow, these stairs are chilly. Perhaps we should use a different material next time?" Blythe rubbed what looked like a black metal stair.

****

"Hmmmm yeah… maybe that knew material we found in the Forest of Magma? It's bound to stay warm right?" They both laughed hard at the statement; meanwhile the maid had approached the door and let in the group consisting of Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"Rika, do you see what I see?" Blythe looked at Rika with a smile on her face. Rika smiled back.

"Test subjects?" They both looked back at the group of strange beings. Blythe and Rika have yet to see a talking duck and such an unusual looking dog that could also talk.

"The duck can't talk so well though..." Blythe started to re-think if it was worth it.

"The dog seems kind of dumb too..." Blythe looked off into the distance calculating what should be done. Rika was drawing figure eights in the air with her finger and thinking the same thing.

"I already figured out how to create a talking duck." Blythe looked back at Rika.

"I figured out how to make a dog like that one...but better." Rika grinned back at Blythe, as they were about to compare their thoughts however were interrupted by a tapping sound and saw Donald Duck tapping his foot with his arms crossed.

"Ahem." He said while Goofy chuckled a bit and Sora was just simply freaked out.

"What?" Rika looked at them, reflecting if it was worth talking to them or not.

"We're here to ask you to join our team." Sora took a brave step forward as he stared up at Blythe and Rika on the stairs.

"I'm tired. I say no." Rika got up and was about to walk back to her room.

"Wait Rika," Blythe grabbed Rika's foot to stop her from walking. "Who are you and what's in it for us?" Rika smiled at Blythe's remark.

"My name is Sora. These are my friends Donald and Goofy and uhhh," Sora shuffled in his baggy pockets and then brought out a tiny package. "The King gave us this, to give to you." Blythe snapped her fingers and a maid gently took the package from him and started to ascend the stairs.

"I still say no, it would basically be us doing all of the work. What can you three do, to possibly assist us in this stupid war for the worlds?"

"We've already beat Maleficent and her gang twice times!" Sora yelled back with Goofy and Donald saying yeah, meekly behind him as well. Blythe opened the package and stared into it. It was a high tech chip inside combined with a magical substance; Rika leaned in to take a glance too. There was a note as well.

_It's been a long time,  
I hope you're both doing fine.  
As you can see I have sent you a chip which I'm guessing is safe to say you have never seen before. All the knowledge we have from each world is in that chip. We will give you the program that will run that chip IF you accept our request. Of course there will be more to give you possibly, if you help us out. Besides, are you sure you want Maleficent ruling this world? You're smart people, think about it._

Your friend,  
King Mickey  
  
Rika yawned again after reading it. She was intrigued, but not too intrigued.

"I don't like those people down there and I personally don't care for the prize. I'm tired, nighty-night." Rika left and headed fro her room. This time Blythe let her go thinking it would be fun to join them, Rika would probably agree as well once she wasn't so tired. Though she couldn't say for sure.

"Alright we accept, though we'll do what we want, when we want. I'm actually tired too. You can stay here for the night. I'm going to bed." Blythe got up and shuffled her way to her room. Donald, Goofy and Sora looked at each other, not sure if they should be celebrating, or not.  
The morning sun shone into Sora's eyes. He yawned and stretched, feeling extremely well rested. The beds here in Arrow were extremely comfortable. Shielding his eyes, he looked over at Donald and Goofy. They were snoring and sprawled out on their beds. After an internal debate on to wake them up or not, Sora decided to leave them be. They had a long journey ahead of them. Tip toeing silently, Sora exited the room. As soon as the sliding titanium doors closed behind him, he hit something solid and toppled over. Blinking, he looked up, his eyes widening. Standing in front of him was a seven foot tall alien looking thing with rather large muscles.

"Sorry." Sora muttered. The alien looked confused before grunting out,

"I show you the way to kitchen. Please follow me." And with that, the buff alien turned right and started to walk down the hall. Sora had no choice but to follow him.

As Sora walked down the halls, he was surprised about the....'unhomeliness' of it. The walls that should be either wood or painted were made out of silver steel with various lights flashing along. The floor which should have been either wood or carpet or even tile was a reinforced titanium metal. The entire place felt cold...and barren.

"Don't touch things here." The alien bodyguard grunted, turning left down a hallway. Sora gasped at what he saw. The entire hallway was lined with high tech weapons. There were sleek silver guns, small explosives and many other weapons that Sora could not put a name to.

"Why are all these weapons here?" Sora asked. The alien did not reply.

Finally the alien stopped at a titanium door that was identical to the one that guarded Sora's room. He knocked three times briskly, causing a voice to project out of the intercom, saying,

"Who is it?" The alien started talking animatedly in clicks and whirs.

"Harmpt ghtro descrha."

"Uipwesa clakit wrimita." The voice replied in a flawless accent. The doors slid open. The alien entered, gesturing Sora to follow him.

The room they entered was marble white, made out of a material that Sora could not identify. He saw Blythe and Rika sitting at the table, nursing cups of coffee and omelets. Sora's stomach rumbled at the sight of it. Blythe looked up, a slight smile crossing her face.

"Ah, Ghertaborg, reflcke saaw utaime fresdwqua." She said to the beefy alien beside him. The alien bowed and left the kitchen. Sora just stood there, his mouth open.

"What was that?"

"Oh Ghertaborg? He's a native of planet Therton."

"No, the language, how do you communicate with them?"

"Well, we work with them every day, so it's probably useful if we pick up a little alien language." Rika snipped, taking a drink of her coffee. Sora blushed, realizing how stupid his question had sounded.

"Sit down and place your order." Blythe said, gesturing to the seat beside her. Sora sat down and Blythe pressed an invisible button. A laser screen popped out.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed.

"We literally have everything you could ever want for breakfast." Blythe said, showing Sora how to scroll through the food and how to pick what he wanted to eat and drink. He chose chocolate chip pancakes and chocolate milk to drink. The screen disappeared.

"So...tell us more about this mission." Blythe said, settling back in her chair.

"Well...this lady named Maleficent has destroyed two worlds with this weapon called the kingdom stone." Blythe's eyes widened and Rika choked on her coffee.

"The KINGDOM STONE?" Rika demanded. Sora nodded his head up and down quickly. Rika looked furious.

"I thought the mouse destroyed the Kingdom Stone a long time ago!" Blythe exclaimed, slamming her fists on the table. The entire table shook, causing plates to smash and Blythe's coffee toppled over. Rika held calmly on to hers, before hurling it against a wall in a state of fury.

"That stupid mouse put the entire universe in danger! And for what? For GOOD!" Rika spat. "Blythe, I vote Maleficent." Sora looked shocked.

"WHAT?" Rika turned her piercing hazel eyes towards Sora.

"Maleficent wants us on her side. I think we'll comply. Blythe?" Before Blythe could reply, Sora yelled,

"Are you kidding? Do you REALLY want Maleficent to rule the universe? It's all a hoax!"

"We get five worlds of our choice to rule over." Rika snapped. "Without risking our army and our dragon."

"She won't give you your worlds!" Sora exclaimed.

"We can take care of ourselves." Rika said, her tone closing the conversation. But Sora barreled on.

"While she has the Kingdom Stone, even you guys won't have a chance against her!"

"Enough!" Blythe said. "Sora, I said we will join you, whether Rika likes it or not. I agree that Maleficent is too powerful for us to deal with on our own. She won't give us our payment and I don't want someone like her ruling the world. But, our terms are to listen to us. Rika and I know many villains personally."

"What does that mean?"

"It means when we say shut up, shut up!" Rika said, sounding resigned. Rika knew that Maleficent's team would be a bad idea, therefore arguing with Blythe would be futile. Blythe knew that she agreed.

"Anyways," Blythe added, "we would like to see our old Mousy friend again."

***

Donald and Goofy came not long after Sora settled things with Blythe and Rika. They all ate breakfast in silence until one of Blythe and Rika's employees came running in, panting so hard, even Rika and Blythe had a hard time understanding their garbles.

"Hemyinlo! Ertyier j kilgofgh gateui!" Rika barked. The alien named Hemyinlo finally managed to spit out a sentence comprehensible to Blythe and Rika.

"Dudley, Crusoe, Flair and Eclipse! kilougod nwsdhkwa adutiyoi!!" Blythe and Rika shot up.

"KEIULS NURIAKS GRETA HU OULGODB!" Blythe screamed and they raced out of the kitchen, Sora, Donald and Goofy close on their tails. But, the girls proved to be extremely fast, not to mention the confusing layout of their home. They finally skidded to a stop in front of a pair of white doors, which were very different front the other doors in the building. Rika punched in the code and wretched the doors open without waiting for them to open automatically. The five ran into the room. What was in there came as a huge shock to Sora, Donald and Goofy. Curled up in a few blankets, were four, sickly baby dragons. There was a blazing red one, a night black one, an emerald green on and a sapphire blue one. Rika fell to her knees beside the dragons, while Blythe punched in the code for a cabinet. She pulled out four syringes which she jabbed in underneath the dragon's scales and administered the medicine inside it. The baby dragons looked better almost immediately and curled up to their masters. The blue one and the green one curled up next to Blythe, while the black one and the red one were content to be next to Rika.

"Green poison." Rika muttered. Blythe looked furious, her brown eyes hard.

"We know the one who could make a poison like this."

"Maleficent." Sora whispered. Blythe and Rika nodded.

"Nobody messes with our dragons." Rika said through her teeth. "Greta!" The nurse came bustling in, as if she was just waiting outside. "Who did this?" The eight armed nurse blathered on about something intelligible to Sora, Donald and Goofy. Blythe replied, her voice steel hard and Greta left the room rather quickly.

"You have dragons?" Sora asked.

"Yeah." Rika said. "The black one is Eclipse and the red one's Flair. They're mine. The blue one is Crusoe and the green one is Dudley."

"Gawrsh...I thought dragons were evil!" Goofy said.  
"The only dragons you know are ones that are morphed. These are 100% pure dragons." Blythe said.

"Oh..great." Donald muttered, causing everyone in the room to grin. They all knew how flammable tail feathers were.

"How are you going to figure out who did this?" Sora asked. Rika looked at him as if he was stupid.

"We'll ask the dragons."

**

Sora shushed, he didn't want Rika snapping at him again, and Blythe seemed pretty on edge with her dragons being harmed and everything.

"Awww, I thought we already decided Maleficent did this?" Goofy started scratching his head again in disarray.

"Geez get with the program! Yes it was Maleficent who did it behind the scene, but she wouldn't come here in person to poison our dragons! We'd kill her before that of course." Rika started cracking her knuckles and grinning evily at the thought of torturing Maleficent. It sent shivers down everyone's spines; except Blythe of course who just smacked her on the head to get Rika back to normal.

"Sorry about that," Blythe glared at Rika, telling her to stop scaring their new- found allies.

"Eclipse; who was it that poisoned you?" Rika stared into Eclipse's eyes. Soon enough a shadow twisted into shape beside eclipse, revealing a shady figure. Everyone was awe-struck.

"Captain Hook?" Blythe questioned eclipse. The shadow started flying around the room; replaying how the event occurred.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait." Blythe stuck both her hands in the air as a motion to say 'stop'. "Captain Hook can fly now?"

"Oh yeah, Hooky was talking to me about that the other day! And then he said....aw man, his world is dead now." Rika gestured cutting her head off with her finger.

"What do you mean? What about Peter?!" Sora started to yell. Rika wasn't too pleased, however Blythe sympathized.

"Peter….." Goofy and Donald put a hand on each of their shoulders and frowned.

"How do you know this though?" Sora was reluctant to believe another world with another friend was gone.

"Weeeell, it was a PRIVATE conversation. However, he made me a little pissed off so I'll tell you. Blythe will tell you the beginning though, because that is the boring part." Rika smiled at Blythe.

"No, you do it!" Rika looked back at Blythes suggestion stubbornly. Blythe knew she wasn't going to give in to this one. "Fine. Captain Hook was talking about how he finally was going to get rid of Peter Pan. I just asked him in a very civilized manner, on how exactly he was going to do that." Rika laughed.

"Okay what she said was 'You have one hand and one hook, you've fought Peter Pan plenty of times and haven't even come close to beating him once. On top of that, you're afraid of CLOCKS.' And then he got all fired up and mad." Sora, Donald and Goofy looked at each other and started laughing.

"You actually told him that?!" Sora laughed out, seemingly forgetting that world no longer existed.

"Rika shush! Fine, that's what I said and then he said this time's different. He sounded believable too; he also said it was because he got new powers from Maleficent, which appears to include the ability to fly." Sora fell silent while Donald and Goofy still out of it were thinking some detail was missing.

"Why was Rika so mad then?" Donald asked pointing to Rika. She was no longer paying attention and swirling her reddish brown hair around her finger. Blythe laughed at such a girly gesture.

"Shut it!" Rika barked at Blythe with her face turning a bit red from embarrassment. Blythe started to laugh even harder with Sora, Donald and Goofy coming into the mix.

"Fine, laugh all you want I was BORED. Okay, so where were we?" Rika stared blankly at the four of them.

"Why were you mad at Captain Hook?" Sora said slowly to Rika as if she couldn't comprehend what he was saying.

"Oh at Hooky? Cause I said I still didn't think he could win. And then he said, he'd find a way to get back us for being so mean to him and blah, blah, blah." Rika made her hand mimic a talking mouth. "So, I suppose this is what he meant as for revenge." Rika looked at Blythe who was already grinning at her evilly.

"Let's pay 'Hooky' a little lesson shall we?" Blythe teased.

"After you Madame," Rika bowed and motioned her arms for Blythe to start walking ahead.

***

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Rika and Blythe entered and sat in the Gummi Ship. Rika looked around, unimpressed.

"This is the Gummi Ship? It looks like something we made a hundred years ago. Why can't we use one of our ships again?" Rika exaggerated. Blythe settled back.

"Because only ships made by Mickey can go through locked portals."

"What does he use?" Blythe shrugged.

"No one knows. Some Disney magic?" Rika made a gagging noise and lay back into her seat.

"Alright! Let's go!"

"Where to?" Sora asked.

"Paris." Blythe replied. "I'm pretty sure we will be able to find Captain Hook in the villain bar."

"Villain bar?!" Donald asked.

"It was started up by Maleficent. It's called Maléfique." Rika answered. "Blythe and I have been hanging out there a lot, you know, just to keep our reps up."

"And we should go in alone." Blythe added. "The villains don't exactly love you guys after you defeated them."

"So the villains hang out in a bar in Paris." Goofy said, scratching his head. "Well who woulda thunk." Sora and Donald laughed, while Blythe and Rika rolled their eyes.

***

An hour later, Goofy smoothly landed the Gummi Ship in a deserted alleyway.

"Stay here." Rika ordered. She and Blythe glided out the door. Sora put his seat back and rested his feet on the dashboard.

"What now?" He asked.

"Well...I guess we wait for them to come back." Goofy said. Donald made a gagging noise.

"I don't like them." Sora shrugged.

"We don't really know them yet Donald."

"Bah!" Donald spat. "I'm betting they're going to betray us. They're really working for Maleficent."

"They're neutral Donald. I don't think we've met anyone quite like them before. People who aren't on any side for this war." Donald opened his mouth to reply, before a sudden crash closed it. The three friends peeked out the window and saw Rika and Blythe practically gang beating Captain Hook.

"I wish I was allowed to do that." Sora muttered.


	4. Memories in the Hundred Acre Woods

"It has been WAY too long since we last beat someone up!" Rika said while stretching her arms up in the air.

"You were in the bar just yesterday fighting half of the civilians here who didn't even do anything to you." Blythe looked at Rika while shoving her arms down. The Gummi ship was considered a bit too compact for Blythe and Rika.

"Okay, okay, so what did you find out from Captain Hook?" Sora asked annoyed at their playing games when some serious stuff was going on.

"Well it turns out he was the one who poisoned our dragons so then we beat him up!" Rika playfully punched Blythe on the arm.

"So, you didn't get any information on the Maleficent at all?! What was the point of recruiting you two when you can't even gather information right?"

"Relax; we know that Never Land is gone, along with Wendy's world. The important thing is that Tinkerbell had escaped." Blythe crossed her legs and grinned ignorantly. She didn't like being doubted or being called worthless.

"We should head to Radian Gardens." Rika whispered to everyone. Sora, Donald and Goofy didn't disagree, they liked that place and they could use some friends to boost their moral.

***

The Gummi Ship touched down (or rather 'roughly landed') in Radiant Gardens. Sora turned back to grin at Blythe and Rika, but found they were dramatically holding on to their seats.  
"What were you trying to land? A rock?" Rika demanded.

"Are we here?" Blythe asked.

"Yeah." Sora said.

"FINALLY!" Rika annouced, pressing the button that opened the Gummi Ship doors and jumped out. Blythe was close on her heels. Sora, Donald and Goofy followed.

"What do you mean 'finally?'" Donald demanded.

"Yeah, we used hyper speed!" Sora exclaimed. Rika shrugged.

"That was hyper speed?" She scoffed. "That was slower then our regular speed! Blythe, why can't we use one of our ships again?"

"Because our ships don't have the ability to go through locked portals." Blythe answered, as she moved to stand beside her friend. Rika scowled. She wasn't used to someone having a piece of technology that she didn't have or know about.

"Well...we'll just have to make Old Micks a ship one day." She decided. "Now, take us to these friends of yours." She turned, addressing Sora. The three friends nodded, and took off at a run- and promptly ran into an entire hoard of heartless.

"HEARTLESS!" Sora yelled, the key blade materializing in his hand. Donald and Goofy whipped out their shield and staff. Blythe pulled out two futuristic daggers and Rika took out two high tech looking guns. Sora jumped and sliced a heartless' head off neatly and with the experience of a pro. He feinted and got three more.

"SORA, BEHIND YOU!" Donald yelled. Sora turned to see three more heartless jumping his way. He raised his key blade in defense, but knew for it to be a futile effort. Suddenly, a crackling yellow arrow sliced through his attackers neatly. He looked up and saw Blythe standing six feet away from him, a glowing, laser like bow in her hand.

"We got your back!" She yelled, before turning to help Rika who was taking on about fifty heartless at once. Her skills with the guns were extraordinary. Every hit was accurate. Knowing they could handle things over there, Sora jumped into the battle once more, doing the thing he was best at- killing heartless.

***

After the battle, the group rejoined in the centre, breathing hard. They had killed over one thousand heartless, and it had exhausted them.

"Hey Sora," Blythe asked, "What is the weapon you wield called?" Sora looked down and realized he still had the Oblivion keyblade gripped tight in his hand.

"Oh um...it's a keyblade."

"Nice," Rika commented. "How do you get one?"

"It chooses you." Sora said simply. Rika looked at Blythe, an incredulous look on her face.

"More Disney hocus pocus." Blythe replied, pressing a button on the small, 10 cm metal bit in the middle of her bow. The laser part of the bow drew itself back in quickly. Blythe put it in a pocket on her weapon belt and then took off the finger brace that she had put on during the battle and clipped it next to the bow. Rika put her two guns in their holsters. Sora realized with horror that she had six of them.

"Gawrsh you have a lot of guns." Goofy said in awe. Rika shrugged.

"One can never have too many."

"Why didn't you bring your nine belt holster?" Blythe asked.

"I don't think I'll need it. Besides, it's probably better to travel light." Blythe nodded.

"So...can we go now?" She asked.

"Yeah," Sora said.

***

They had been walking for what felt like ages. Sora shuffled his feet on the worn stone as he walked, his new found paranoia sinking in. What if Radiant Gardens had suffered the same fate as Agrabah?  
"LEON!" Goofy called. "YUFFIE! AERITH! CID!" There was no response.

"Sora? Donald? Goofy?" Everyone's heads whipped up towards the sound.

"AERITH!" Sora yelled happily.

***

"I'm so happy everyone is alright." Aerith smiled warmly at the group, with Leon beside her; arms crossed and trying to look cold and unattached to the current situation.

"Haven't seen you in a long time." Leon said bluntly.  
Rika looked at the sword Leon had on him. "By any chance, is there a wizard named Merlin here?" Blythe questioned Aerith. Leon and the rest had gotten into some argument over whether sea-salt ice cream being the tastiest thing in the world or not.

"Yeah, he's inside." She answered calmly while leading them in.

"Wait!" Leon barked. Rika was off in front of the house swinging Leon's sword around.

"Rika, give it back, that's not ours. Besides we have a lot of stuff that is even better." Blythe and Aerith continued into the house.

"I know!" Rika flung the sword to Leon, who caught it with one hand. He stared back at her with caution. Rika reached into her pocket and pulled out a technical looking device. She quickly started in-putting a message to Blythe saying she'd back after getting her favourite weapon. After the message was finished she flipped the device closed and stuck it back in her pocket. She looked back at Sora, Donald, Goofy, Leon and Yuffie looking at her in question. She smirked at them as her body started to disappear in a gust of wind.

"Wh-" Sora reached out in a futile attempt to stop her form leaving. He could hardly manage to spit out a whole word before Rika was gone. All that was left was a couple green leaves, fluttering off into the sky. The group quickly ran into the house to question Blythe.

"Blythe!" Soras yelled as Leon slammed open the door.

"Oh my, you are all certainly in a rush." Merlin was standing while stroking his long white beard.

"Gawsh, where's Blythe?" Goofy swirled around the room on his shield looking for Blythe.

"I told you they'd betray us!" Donald quacked at his friends.

"No, it's not like that." Aerith swiftly walked over to a stand and picked up an ancient looking book with the words written on it 'Winnie the Pooh'.

"What do you mean they?"

"Well, Blythe is the back, inspecting Merlin's magical objects, so I know where she is. She said Rika would probably be in the book…" They group of them looked at each other- until Merlin laughed randomly in the middle of the silence.

"Yes, you could learn a bit from them Sora. Not just how to strengthen your fighting skill, but to improve your magic too. It's something you're going to need a lot this time." Leon looked at Merlin about to ask Merlin something; however Cid beat him to it.

"What do you mean?" Cid swirled his chair around from his computer system to look at everyone in the face.

"You built the defense system Cid, don't tell me you don't even know?" Cid's face started to turn angered. "I suppose magic is the superior one after all." Merlin chuckled again and Cid started yelling at him; trying to prove technology is the better one.

"I think they're equally as good." Blythe was standing in front of Aerith

"I mean, technology is great and everything, you can even create magic with it. But it will never surpass the power of pure magic. Pure magic is strong as well as easily accessible if you know how to use it. Someone can always knock a gun out of your hand; but never your magic." Cid and Merlin fell silent; not sure if they should be happy on the praise she put in on either sides or the faults she put in on both sides.

"Blythe, what exactly are you?" Sora stared intently at Blythe.

"What do you mean what am I?!" Blythe became furious.

"How rude! I never asked your little friends what they were, even though they took the form of a TALKING duck and dog." Her face was stern and her hands were on her hips.

"Well, not like that. I mean, who you are more like." He motioned his arms up and down slowly as if to calm her down by also saying 'now, now'.

"I already told you, I'm Blythe." She looked at Sora now blankly and confused. What more could possibly define who she was. She couldn't.

***

Blythe landed smoothly. Glancing around, she saw detailed drawings of trees around her, along with a compass in the corner. She glanced up and saw Merlin's bearded face smiling down at her.

"Whoa!" She cried, falling on her back. "We shrunk!" Sora helped her up.

"That's kind of what happens when we go to visit Pooh Bear."

"Pooh Bear?" Blythe asked. "Is he the main character?" Sora nodded.

"He's fantastic. You'll never meet anyone like him. To see him, we hit here." Sora said, gesturing to the picture of a rather large tree. Blythe had a sudden fear of becoming a splotch of ink. She had never trusted anyone with her life before, except Rika. She had no idea what she was doing here- she was depending on Sora. And she hated that.

"Are you sure about this?" She demanded. Sora nodded.

"Okay, let's go find Rika." Blythe decided. Sora nodded again, and the keyblade materialized in his hand. Raising it up, he brought down with a smack on the page. A sudden tornado enveloped them. Bracing herself, Blythe shut her eyes. A couple seconds later, Sora spoke again, excitement evident in his voice.

"We're here!" He announced, running ahead of Blythe. Blythe opened her eyes. She was standing in the middle of an enormous, old forest. The trees were immensely tall, thick and green. She had never been anywhere so beautiful...so peaceful. Arrow was constantly noisy, with the amount of aliens they kept there, and their dragons. Not to mention there was no trees there. Arrow was pure technology. Blythe had preferred that- it helped protect them and their world. But, looking around her, Blythe realized just how much she missed trees. Trees. A memory flashed across her eyes, and she staggered back from the impact. A tree house. Laughter. A melodic voice. The memory was so intense; Blythe staggered, and supported her weight against a tree. Blythe had no idea how long she'd lived. Time had lost its meaning on Arrow- which meant Blythe and Rika could be anywhere between 16 and 100 000 years old. A long time ago, Blythe's memory had been wiped. She couldn't remember anything of her life before she met Rika. Rika had found her, wandering lost and alone in a desert. The two had become fast friends, and formed an alliance stronger then life itself. But lately, since they had left Arrow, Blythe had been experiencing serious episodes of déjà vu. She had hidden her raging emotions extremely well, but there were some instances where she felt like she was coming apart at the seams. This scared her. Blythe couldn't remember feeling this vulnerable. She was afraid to reveal this to Rika. Rika was powerful and confident. If Blythe was so emotionally disturbed, would Rika still want to work with her? Or would she be deemed too weak to run an entire organization based on domination. Taking a deep breath, Blythe composed herself and raced after Sora.

***

Sora arrived at the large tree house, with the large sign reading 'Mr. Sanders' inscribed across it. Standing next to it, doing his stout exercises was Winnie the Pooh.

"Pooh!" Sora called. Pooh's head snapped up. A joyous expression crossed his adorable face.

"Sora!" He cried, running at him and wrapping his arms around Sora's knees.

"How are you?"

"I've been okay. I was just doing my stout exercises." Pooh answered happily.

"Have you seen someone with curly brown hair running around here?" Sora asked; describing Rika in terms Pooh would comprehend. Pooh shook his head.

"Nope. I've known everyone I've seen today." He answered. "I was getting rumbly in my tumbly. I'm going to the hunny tree. Won't you join me Sora?' He asked.

"Sure, Blythe what do you think?" Sora turned to look behind him, only to realize that Blythe was not standing behind him. "Blythe?"

"Present." Blythe said sarcastically, coming out from the trees. Pooh jumped. Sora didn't blame him. Blythe looked pretty threatening in her black getup and various weapon belts crossing her frame.

"Uh, Blythe? We don't need all those things here."

"What?"

"Your weapons." Sora said, gesturing to the leather straps crossing her frame. "The creatures here are rather innocent, and stuff like this is...scary for them." Blythe looked past Sora and saw Pooh for the first time. A soft expression crossed her normally hard face. She removed her weapons, and threw them up in a tree.

"Is that better?" She asked Pooh.

"Well, yes, I suppose." She walked over to Pooh, knelt down and offered her hand.

"I'm Blythe. You must be Pooh."

"It is very nice to meet you Blythe." Pooh declared. "It's always nice to make a new friend." A smile crossed Blythe's face; she stood, held out her hand. Pooh took it.

"Now why don't you show Sora and I the hunny tree?" She asked. Pooh nodded happily and pulled Blythe along, Sora following, shock evident on his face. He knew that Blythe was the kinder one of the two, but he didn't know she was...normal.


	5. Evactuation

Blythe and Sora wandered with Pooh Bear in-between them, holding each of their hands.

"Do you like hunny Blythe?" Winnie the Pooh asked Blythe while looking up at her face. She looked down at him and smiled warmly, "I do Pooh Bear."

"I do too….oh bother. You won't eat all my hunny though will you?" He asked while letting go of Sora's hand and placing it on his stomach. "I'm quite rumbly in my tummy."

"I promise I won't eat your hunny Pooh." Blythe patted him on hi head. Sora continued to stare at the amazing scene of such a serene Blythe.

"Brrrrrrrr-Rawr!"Tigger pounced onto Sora and Pooh Bear with a big thud.

"Tigger!" Sora shouted in happiness.

"Yup that's me! T-I-double g- er! That spells tigger!" He patted himself on his chest as he looked around and saw Blythe.

"Are you alright Pooh Bear?" Blythe asked while helping Pooh Bear up from the ground.

"Quite a lot of new faces today aren't there?" Tiger stroked his chin while looking at Blythe who had place Pooh Bear back on the floor.

"Did you see a girl with brown hair around here Tigger?" Sora got up off the ground and brushed some dust off his black shorts.

"The one with long curly hair?" Blythe nodded her head.

"Yeah that's Rika!" Blythe replied happily. Though she was a bit worried she was getting into some kind of trouble.

"She's busy at the moment! We're comparing bounces!" Tigger spun his tail around in a circle.

"But Tigger, how do you compare bounces if she's not here?" Tigger looked up in the sky while shielding his eyes with one of his hands. The sun was beaming down on them against the lightly painted, bright blue sky.

"Well she should be coming down soon. Though I'm still the better bouncer. It's not the air time that counts but the bounce itself." Tigger started to pout that Rika went in the air for so long.

"What!?" Sora looked up at the sky. A quickly flying Rika was diving down to the ground head first. She was holding a little pink creature in her hand and a honey pot in the other.

"I've got a bunch of presents for Pooh Bear!" Rika let go of the little pig named Piglet as well as the honey pot. Rika quickly flipped leaving her feet lightly tap on the ground making a soft landing.

"It's so easy to bounce here!" Rika flipped her crazy hair back from it being all in her face.  
Blythe walked up to Rika with a scared Piglet in her hands. "Rika! You scared this poor little guy to death! Be more careful next time." Blythe let Piglet down on the ground next to Pooh Bear who was eating out of the honey pot.

"Sorry, I guess I was too excited." Rika scratched her head then looked over at Tigger.

"So who won?" Sora was honestly shocked from the appearance of Rika. He decided the chances of her being normal was slim to none compared to Blythe's shocking alter personality.

"Well I did." Tigger said proudly.

"Why is that?" Rika grinned; she had guessed he'd have witty, unfair remark.

"Well because I'm a Tigger that's why! And that's what Tigger's do best!" Tigger went off bouncing away with Pooh Bear and Piglet walking after him.

"I like this world." Blythe said. Rika looked at Blythe. She nodded her head in agreement. She didn't find it the best world however she could tell that Blythe liked it a lot here. So that's where they'd be until she was okay with moving on for a while.

"Yeah, I've spent a lot of time here. You're both just lucky nothing bad happened to them. Both times I visited here they had either lost each, forgotten me or had other unfortunate events." Sore stared off looking at them in front of him. He was reminiscing kindly of his past. Then he let out a big sigh.

"You must be tired from going on so many adventures. However be relieved, this time none of your friends are in danger and even better, you have Blythe and I to help you out!" Rika pointed to her self and smiled broadly.

"True." Sora grinned back at Rika. For a moment both of them were on the same silly wavelength of optimism.

"Let's go meet everyone here and make sure everything's alright. After that we'll talk to the others outside of here and see if they've heard of any disturbances in their world." Rika, Sora and Blythe looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They had started to get back into business.

***

"Blythe d-d-do you mind checking for monsters under my bed before you leave?" Piglet asked Blythe. Blythe picked Piglet up easily.

"Of course not Piglet." She turned to Rika and Sora. "I'll be out in a bit." Sora smiled as he saw just how much Blythe had fallen under the spell of the Hundred Acre Woods.

"It's so...peaceful here." Rika observed quietly as she and Sora walked towards the portal.

"It's the one place only certain people can get in. They are mostly undisturbed, violence wise." Sora answered.

"I'll never let anyone in to hurt them." Rika vowed, her walk speeding up.

"Me neither." Sora replied as he quickly caught up.

***

Blythe let Piglet lead her to his house. Once she had reached the door, she had to stoop to be able to enter his home.

"H-H-Here's the bed." Piglet said, gesturing to an average sized bed- a bed that was much too big for the small creature. Smiling, Blythe knelt down under the bed. What she saw under the bed caused her to grab Piglet and fly across the room. She slammed into Piglet's wall, causing a few pictures to fall down.

"We have to get out of here- NOW!" She told Piglet, as she opened his door. "Climb onto my shoulders and hold on tight!" She instructed him. Piglet obeyed, but he was shaking so badly, he could scarcely get a grip on her. When he had finally fastened himself to her shoulders, Blythe grabbed anything she could find to barricade the door.

"Oh d-d-d-dear, what's going on?" Piglet dried as Blythe moved a heavy crate to block the door.

"We have to evacuate the Hundred Acre Woods- immediately!" She said, whipping out her Zetra phone- the method of communication she and Rika had developed. She texted a quick message to Rika, praying that she would get it on time.

***

Sora and Rika were standing right next to the portal when an upbeat ringtone sounded from Rika's weapon belt. Her brow creasing, Rika whipped out a sleek, rectangular piece of technology.

"What's that?" Sora asked.

"Zetra Phone." Rika muttered as she opened her inbox. Her eyes quickly scanned the message, before pressing a button, causing a laser keyboard to pop out of a lens in the phone. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, before pressing the button again and pocketing the phone. Her face was grim. Sora didn't like it.

"What's happening?"

"We have to evacuate the Hundred Acre Woods." She said grimly, and spun on her heel and took off at a run. Seized with panic, Sora followed.

***

"How are you going to find her?" Sora demanded as they flew across undisturbed grass and fallen tree trunks. He was again struck by the peacefulness of this place. How could something so evil even survive in this place? His resolve hardened. He would save his friends. He would not let them be killed like Aladdin.

"Zetra Phone." Rika replied again. She had taken it out again after they had gained some ground.

"Where would she be?" Sora asked.

"There!" Rika said, pointing at a large burrow, decorated with a garden out front. Sora's eyes immediately zoned in on Tigger, Pooh and Piglet. He let out a sigh on relief when he saw that they were fine. He raced up to the front door with Rika. Rika went inside to check on Blythe.

"What's going on Sora!" Piglet cried, wrapping his little arms around Sora's leg. Sora picked Piglet up to set him on his shoulder.

"I don't know guys. But, to keep you safe, we have to leave."

"But we can't leave the woods! It's our home! Where else shall I bounce?" Tigger demanded.

"I think, if it's to keep us safe of course, we should go." Pooh said slowly. "But if there isn't any hunny there..."

"There'll be hunny there Pooh." Sora said hurriedly, as Blythe and Rika pulled a protesting Rabbit out of his home. Rika wiped the sweat from her brow. It was getting unbearably hot.

"Owl next I suppose." She said.

***

Sora looked around and didn't like how things had been going. Usually he was the one who knew what was going on, with so much confusion with the unknown he wasn't quite sure how to act so that he could protect his friends.

"Wait, what exactly is going on? Where should we bring them to? They can't leave the story book!" Blythe and Rika looked at each other. They knew the residents in the Hundred Acre woods shouldn't be moved to the outside world. So, they had come up with a different plan.

"Do you remember Twilight town and how it had an alternate world?" Blythe questioned Sora. He nodded slowly.

"We took that data; it won't take long for our people to complete an alternate world for this place." Rika continued Blythe's thought.

"It wont be totally complete however there will be enough completed for them to stay. We just have to get everyone together and wait for the portal to open." Blythe ended while running forward to Owl's house.

"Portal?! To where exactly is this place you're talking about?!" Sora yelled after her, not realizing Rika was right beside him able to answer his question for Blythe.

"It leads to our ship. Why don't you relax a bit and just get everyone together? We don't have that much time." Rika started to whistle and skip off towards Kanga and Roo's house. Sora looked back at her with a pale white face. His self-esteem had lowered drastically. He didn't think what they were doing was the right way to handle things; either not taking it seriously like Rika or leaving others in the dark like Blythe. Most of all he was upset about his uselessness. -Why am I even here? - He began to think to himself.

Soon enough everyone was gathered. The Hundred Acre Woods was starting to literally dry out. The trees were starting to fall to ash; the sky was a dark grey with no clouds and the air stayed motionless and stale. The Hundred Acre Wood was starting to lose its life. Before long, they would lose their own lives too.

"Mama, I'm getting tired." Roo cuddled up to his mother Kanga who hushed at him and whispered, "I know darling. Just a little longer now."

"How much longer will this take?" Said Sora who was starting to feel a little dopy as well. Was this why they had to evacuate?

"It's here Rika said as she looked up at the sky with her eyes closed." Blythe walked in front of them all. And placed a metal rod that seemed to come from no-where into the ground. Quickly all at once red looking electricity encircled them all and before they knew it they were standing in front of Pooh's house with the beautifully coloured leaves, gusty wind and the familiar earthy smell. Everyone bursted back to life in an instant.

"Oh boy! I had the most horrendous dream! The forest had gone all spooky and scary and we were all getting dopy just waiting for those hephalumps to come and get us."Tigger started waving his arms around making a spooky face. Everyone looked at each other scared except for Sora, Blythe and Rika.

"Um, I don't think that was a dream Tigger." Pooh said rather languidly.

"Oh, well I suppose it wasn't then." Tigger, being as stumped as he was, giggled it off and started to hop around. "Well I wasn't scared even a bit. Tiggers do NOT get scared." Tigger said proudly. Stopping his bounces and ignorantly placed his hands on his hips and raised his nose in the air.

"So we're on your ship now?" Sora whispered to Blythe and Rika.

"Yup." Rika replied.

"Just don't let them go anywhere but here, the Hunny tree or Rabbit's house." Blythe whispered back.

"Cause it's not complete yet." Rika added on in a whisper. Just to make sure Sora wasn't confused or anything as to why they shouldn't go there.

"Alright then, but what should we do next?"


	6. Sabatoge

After filling in Donald and Goofy, using Bythe and Rika's ship, Sora placed a video call to King Mickey's ship. It rung three times before Mickey picked up.  
"Heya guys!" He said. Riku nodded in the background. "Blythe! Rika! Long time no see! How are your dragons? 'Fraid I haven't had the time to drop by and see them."

"That's alright Mickey." Blythe said, coming over to stand by Donald. "Nothing has changed anyways." Sora glanced quickly at Blythe and Mickey, before grabbing his head in his hands.

"I thought you guys weren't on good terms! The way the King was talking..."

"We're semi- acquaintances." Rika replied, coming to join the conversation.

"Oh."

"So, what's up guys?" Mickey asked.

"The Hundred Acre Woods is dying." Sora replied. Mickey's smile faded.

"What? How?"

"We don't know! Merlin's inspected the book, nothing seems to be physically wrong with it."

"I saw something. It's inside the story." Blythe spoke up. Everyone looked at Blythe. She was the one who had called for the evacuation of the Hundred Acre Woods. But she had never said why. She had looked extremely unsettled since they had left the book.

"What?" Mickey asked.

"There was a...green portal under Piglet's bed. I glimpsed Heartless inside it. But, they didn't look like the Heartless we fought earlier. They were black, with green eyes, instead of yellow. While I was looking at them, it was hard to breath, and I felt sluggish, like I had a horrible case of the flu."

"Poison." Mickey muttered. "How did they get in?" Everyone shrugged.

"Blythe and I are going to run Medical Tests on everyone." Rika said. "see if they've been affected by the flu in any way."

"Get right on that." Mickey ordered. Nodding, the two girls left the communications room.

"Your Majesty, what's going on?"  
"The Heartless are out of control Sora. Different types are invading towns and regular ones are overrunning them."

"Is there anything we can do?" Donald asked. The King opened his mouth to reply, when suddenly, the screen exploded.

"GET DOWN!" Sora hollered, yanking Donald's cuff to drag him down with him. Goofy put up his shield to protect them from the falling glass that came from the screen. More circuits exploded around them, causing alarms to blare and sparks to litter the ground.  
BOOM!

The entire ship tipped to one side. In the distance, Sora was pretty sure he could hear Rika cussing. The three friends slid across the room, trying to grab on to various things to slow their descent. BAM! The ship hit its side and rolled. After that, everything went black.

"Sora?" Sora felt his eyes flutter and opened them. It was too bright. He closed them again.

"Where am I?" He asked thickly.

"In the hospital in Radiant Gardens." Sora cracked one eye open. He saw Blythe's concerned face staring down at them. Blinking, he tried to sit up, but Blythe pushed him back down.

"You had a head injury. Don't move." She said. Sora blinked again, and rubbed his head. It was covered in thick bandages.

"My head feels like a wrestling match went down inside it." He groaned.

"You cracked your skull. I think that's natural." She said, getting up.

"What happened to everyone else?" Sora asked as Blythe walked towards the door. Blythe turned back.

"Everyone from the Hundred Acre Woods is fine. They just needed a few stitches. Donald and Goofy are awake, and are fine. They just had a few broken bones." Sora nodded. Suddenly, his eyes felt extremely heavy.

"Sleep a bit." Blythe told him.

"'Kay." Sora mumbled, before drifting off. Closing the door silently behind her, Blythe

walked down the hall to Piglet's room, where Rika was repairing him. She opened the door.

"Oh d-d-d-dear!" Piglet cried as Rika strung some thread on a needle. The poor piglet had a huge tear in his back.

"Relax Piglet, this won't hurt a bit." Rika said calmly, starting to thread through the tear. Piglet relaxed. Blythe waited patiently by the door until Rika had finished.

"Good as new!" She proclaimed, cutting the thread.

"T-t-thanks." Piglet mumbled. Rika lifted Piglet up and tucked him into bed.

"What's up?" She asked, walking towards Blythe. Blythe was struck on how exhausted her friend looked. They hadn't slept for the better part of the three days since their ship had exploded. Scratches covered her face, and she had stitches just above her eyebrow.

"Any idea what happened?" Blythe asked, holding the door open for Rika as they exited Piglet's room.

"No." Rika said, sitting down on a nearby bench. "Did you learn anything through that last check?"

"Everything's been melted Rika, there's nothing TO check."

"Communications overload? Portal compatibility issue?" Rika suggested, but the expression in her eyes told Blythe she didn't believe that.

"Rika, for an explosion THAT big to happen, we would have to have made a HUGE mistake. We don't make those mistakes! We've used that ship thousands of times for those programs!"

"I know Blythe." Rika said, leaning back. "We were lucky that the portal still worked for us to get everyone out."

"It was sabotage." Blythe said.

"I know." Rika said grimly. "And I think I know who did it."

"I hate working with so many unknowns!" Blythe said, slamming her fist on the bench.

"We could go into planet invasions with less injuries then this! We haven't even started yet and our entire team is banged up!" Rika nodded, understanding. Even though they wouldn't let it on, the girls were a bit out of their element. They had only attacked after doing months worth of research on battle tactics, weapons and planet layout.

"We're too far in to back out now. Besides, I have some personal grudges against Maleficent that I have to pound out." The two friends laughed.

"Rika?"

"Hmmm?"

"What do you remember about your life before Arrow?"

***

"Blythe, you know I don't like talking about my own past." Rika darted a dark look at Blythe. Rika's eyes seemed to change colours slightly; to a glowing and ominous dark red. Blythe thought for a second –that colour…a vampire perhaps? - Rika raised her face a bit and her appearance went back to her usual one.

"No, I'm not a vampire; I thought you were a genius!" Rika smacked Blythe on the head.

"Ouch! Well sorry! What would you think if you saw red eyes??" Rika's expression changed for a second into a shocked almost disturbed one. She didn't seem to even notice her eyes had changed colour. However the expression didn't last long enough for Blythe to clearly identify what emotion Rika seemed to be experiencing.

"You're being silly Blythe it's just the lighting in the room and our exhaustion that probably tricked you into seeing that." Blythe nodded back at Rika, not quite sure still if what she saw real.

"Yeah, over exhaustion can most definitely cause a degree of hallucinations." Blythe quickly laughed off her remark about Rika's eye colour. She was starting to regret beginning the conversation. As she thought before, perhaps Rika just wouldn't understand.

"Blythe, if you think I'm hiding your past from you, you're wrong. I'm just simply protecting you from it. It's not something that would ever change my thoughts on you. You are you, and nothing in your past COULD change that. It's just that your past is a little weird, a little complicated and something that wouldn't just change you're life style…but some people around you too." Rika said it all rather quite nonchalantly. Despite that Blythe was thinking of it all quite seriously. It was her own past after all. Blythe thought hard on all that. The only person she was really close to was Rika. Would it change Rika's life then? Or does Blythe have some other people that she used to be close to in the past but forgot….

"Argh this is so confusing! I don't know what to think!" Blythe rubbed her head. The more she tried to think of her past and how it connected to what Rika said, the more her head hurt.  
Rika started to giggle, "Blythe just relax! All that you really need to know is that your past isn't exactly all that important right now. We kinda have other problems on our hands and stuff to accomplish." Blythe the looked at Piglet, Pooh bear, Tigger, Rabbit and all the rest sleeping in their own bad injured in their own way. It made her furious inside. She was deeply, emotionally attached to the world and the creatures in it; even if she only spent such a short time in it. Blythe trusted Rika that knew what she was doing; she always seemed to think one step ahead of the game after all.

An island, it was the island that took place at the very beginning. A warm, sandy beach with a wooden tree fort, at the back, blue crisp water with some fish swimming…..palm trees…..the sound of those palm tree's leaves rustle in the salty tasting wind. The sound of the waves crashing quietly upon a little piece of land that was attached to the island through a bridge…that was where Riku, Kairi and Sora first talked about other worlds with a bright pinkish orange sunset. It was beautiful a beautiful time.

Though, on the Island that Sora was seeing, the cave where Kairi and Sora scribbled drawings all over it was gone. Sora was surprised and ran over to where it used to be- nothing. Everything was oddly quiet except for a dull banging noise coming from him smacking the stone wall where the cave used to be. He turned around so his back was against the wall; he slid down it and put his head between his knees in defeat. Something suddenly drew his face to the left; where the waterfall was. The water quickly turned green, a just as green, thick smoke started to form its way starting from the fountain over to where Sora was. All of a sudden he felt so alone. He looked forward and saw Donald, Goofy, Riku, even the King on the ground just laying there as the smoke engulfed them. Sora looked a little more at them all being engulfed by the smoke in horror; until finally he was watching the last one being taken away- "Kairi!" He yelled as he reached out his hand to save her…

It was too late. She was gone. A tear started to trickle down his face, as his hand slowly fell back to the ground and his head toppled downward. He was on all fours, looking at the ground in defeat. Just waiting for the green smoke to get him too.

"Sora don't you dare!" He heard a familiar voice. A familiar smooth voice, though something was different about it. It was it's usual care-free, sometimes rude or sarcastic one but something was missing.

"Sora, you have to get up and fight!" Came another voice.

"Ah, so that's what was missing," Sora whispered to himself as everything started to go black. The second voice that was filled with kindness and warmth, that's what was missing. When there was one, there was always the other. He a hand on each of his shoulders and was pushed back to somewhere just as dark. He tried opening his eyes, and managed to just barely. Everything was blurry except for a vivid image of Blythe and Rika. They were all in the once disappeared cave.

"We're here to help," said Blythe while smiling.

"So don't you dare ever think you're alone or try to give up!" Rika said in a temper. Her face was red though with worry. Sora almost found it humorous to see her in such a rare state. Sora managed a smile. Blythe and even Rika smiled back at him just as caringly. The door; the door that was in the cave was open behindBlythe and Rika. Sora had just realized, and it was a bright, white light that shined through that door illuminating the both of them. They turned and walked through the door. Sora managed to crawl his way through the door as well until everything was white……

"Sora, Sora!" Sora was violently shaken awake. Sora opened his eyes looking up at Donald and Goofy.

"Donald, Goofy!" Sora yelled happily as he hugged them both happily.

"Well I see you've got your strength back." Leon was standing behind them, smiling a bit himself.

"Yeah…"Sora looked around and realized he must have been dreaming before about the island.

"But it was so real…" Sora whispered to himself.

"What was that?" Leon asked, being quite confused.

"Nothing, it's nice to be back." Sora grinned in a silly manner like always and everyone started laughing at it as usual.

***

AN: So…who do you think Blythe is? What's her past? What do you think Rika is? And her past? How did these two girls meet? What is their relation to Mickey? R&R!


	7. Sadness

"That's the last of it!" Sora announced, as he put another pot of honey in front of Pooh. The inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods had not fully recovered yet. Merlin, Leon and the Fairy Godmother had promised to continue their care, since Sora, Donald, Goofy, Blythe and Rika were departing that afternoon.

"Thank you Sora. My tummy has gotten quite rumbly." Pooh said, tucking into his honey. Sora sat down on the bed beside him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Quite good. I should like to go home soon." Pooh said. Sora hoped his expression didn't give anyway the fate of the Hundred Acre Woods to Pooh.

"We'll get you home as soon as possible Pooh. But, for now, you're going to stay with Merlin and Leon for a bit." Pooh nodded happily, too absorbed in his honey to really care about anything else at the moment.

"Well, I have to go. Bye Pooh!"

"Goodbye Sora. I will see you later." Pooh said, certainty ringing in every word. Sora nodded, not trusting himself to speak. This was the most important and the most dangerous mission that he had ever come across. He knew that it was a strong possibility that this could cause his death. He closed Pooh's door quietly behind him, and joined Donald and Goofy, who were staring out the window.

"Do ya think we gonna come back?" Donald asked.

"'Course we are Donald!" Goofy said. "We've been through this before." Sora said nothing. Secretly, he agreed with Donald.

Blythe changed into her grey tank top and stab- proof vest. She clipped her weapon belt on her pair of camo pants. She inserted her two laser guns into her holsters, and checked to see she had her parts for her bow.

"Ready?" Blythe turned to see Rika standing at the doorway, decked out in a navy blue tank top and black cargo pants. She also had a stab vest and two guns inserted neatly into holsters. She also had a small dagger at her hip (and knowing her, one on each leg under her pant legs) and an enormous sword attached to a strap that crossed her upper body and sat comfortably on her back.

"Yeah." Blythe replied, buckling her dagger on her shin. She stood up, and walked with Rika out of the hospital.

"Rika, look I'm-" Her friend waved her off in a dismissing manner.

"Blythe we're friends- it's natural for you to be curious about my past. And heck, being your past, it's natural for you to be curious about yours. But trust me when I say that's it's best that you know nothing about your past- at least until you remember it on your own." Blythe nodded, understanding. Rika always knew what was best.

Blythe and Rika boarded the ship, and took her seats in the back.

"Where to now?" Rika asked. Sora shrugged.

"Whatever comes comes next."

"Play by ear?" Blythe asked incredulously.

"Kinda." Sora said sheepishly. "But we kinda had a plan. We're going to go visit our friends, Belle and Beast."

"His name's Adam now Sora." Goofy said, pressing a few buttons. The Gummi ship lifted into the air.

"He doesn't mind if we call him Beast." Sora protested. Donald and Goofy laughed. Sora steered the Gummi ship smoothly so that world came into view. The world was green, spotted with colours- flowers maybe? In the centre was an elaborate white, cream and gold castle. Sora yanked the controls back, expecting to land smoothly, but an enourmus blast sent the Gummi Ship spiraling out of control.

"Not again!" Rika moaned, grabbing the security handle to hold herself upright. The ship spiraled away from Beast and Belle's world and crashed landed. Blythe managed to punch a hole through the wall of the Gummi Ship, seeing as she was the only one who could move through the wreckage. Everyone hopped out.

"Gee…we're havin' some serious issues with technology." Goofy said scratching his head. Rika paced in a circle around the wreckage.

"It's definitely fixable. Could probably tweak the design too to make it better. Gummi ship 2.0!" Blythe came to stand beside her.

"We could totally re-do the wings- base it on the design we made for our fighter jet. Those are awesome wings." Rika held up her hands.

"Hey, you're the wing girl. I'm all body and interior!" The girls quickly set to work to re-shaping and designing the Gummi Ship. Donald paced a few steps forward, looking around scratching his head.

"What world are we in now?" Sora looked around, feeling a bit nostalgic- which instantly made him feel sick. This world was covered in black ash and green fire.

"Gawrsh, I think we've been here before Sora." Goofy said, going to stand beside Donald.

"Not for awhile…" Sora muttered, picking up some ash and turning it over. Something metallic was hidden under it. Brushing it off, Sora noted some scratches marked on the side. Holding it up to decipher the scratches, he felt sick as soon as he read the name.  
Professor Porter.

"NO!" Sora screamed. He sprinted ahead, slipping in the ash. Where were the trees? The dangerous animals? The gorillas? If he hadn't found the piece of metal, this world would have been unrecognizable. "TARZAN!" He yelled. "JANE!" He heard Goofy and Donald follow suit. But it was just like Aladdin's world.  
There was nothing left.  
They were too late.  
Maleficent had destroyed everything.  
Again.

"Blythe…I think we're going to need to go there." Rika looked back at her sad looking friend. It hurt Blythe greatly to see how sorrowful Sora, Donald and Goofy were.

"I know, but I just don't think it would do them any good for their mental health." Blythe frowned and started to think deeply. "About what you said earlier is it true?" Blythe and Rika continued discussing unknown things together silently. Sora had turned around to look at them. They were both serious looking. Blythe seemed sad, not as sad as Sora and the rest however still sad. Rika on the other hand looked on the other hand like things were going well, Sora became angry at her. How could she be alright with knowing so many worlds with so many people were destroyed? He felt it since he met her, he wasn't going to get along with her very easily.

Sora charged up to Rika and Blythe angrily. Donald and Goofy got out of their trance of depression and looked over at what Sora was doing with concerned faces.

"That's it I've had enough of you!" Sora yelled at Rika and pointed a finger in front of her face. Blythe took a step back looking at the situation. She was a bit surprised since he was looking so sad just a few minutes before, absolutely no signs of anger at all. Blythe began to think how his emotional state was either hanging on by a piece of thread or perhaps gone all together at this point.

"Time after time you show absolutely no care or respect for what's happening! Not for anything at all! People have died do you not understand that at all?!" Sora was gasping for air, he was yelling so loudly no one except for Rika had thought it would be possible for Sora to do.

"I don't know where you possibly came up with the conclusion that I don't care or the evidence in which I have shown absolutely no respect at all throughout our time all of us spent together." Rika with an emotionless face stared with big, round and blank eyes back at Sora.

"Look at you now even! You're acting like you can't even take this situation seriously! I'm mad at you so show some sign of understanding!" Rika stared at Sora a little more than nodded in acceptance while muttering "alright". She dropped her head down, her long hair shielding her face. She then looked up with a sincere looking face, her eyes starting to water and a tear trickling down her face. Blythe looked at Rika and frowned, nothing was going right today for her or probably anyone else.

"Rika, stop it." Blythe said coolly. The last thing Rika should have done was cry. Rika kept crying a bit more until it got worse. Sora stared at her in shock. Donald and Goofy came rushing over.

"Gawrsh Sora, I didn't think you'd make a girl cry!" Goofy was staring at Rika with worry written all over his face.

"It's fine." Blythe reassured them all and sighed.

"W-I don't get it what just happened?" Sora was completely confused as to what he had done.

"Sora, I think we should go to the Coliseum. We need to go to the underworld." Sora looked at Blythe and then at Rika. They were close friends so if she says its nothing to worry about he believed her.

"Why do you think that?" Sora questioned. He half wanted to go however half didn't. The last thing he wanted was to visit another world with the possibility of it already being destroyed.

"Rika just told me while you were searching this world about a theory she has. I believe she's onto something however it may be rough for you, I need you to be mentally prepared." Sora looked at her and gazed strongly.

"Wait, Rika's idea before? That's what you were talking about?" Sora started thinking, guilt started to pour into him.

"Yeah, she was feeling good for finding such a connection. It's a major part in saving these worlds." Blythe said it strongly, she wanted to see his reaction as he finally understood the reason why she was acting that way was because she strongly believed; everything would be okay. Sora turned back to Rika, who had stopped crying and on the ground. Her body was slouched forward and yet again her head drooping forward with her hair in front of her face.

"Listen Rika, I'm sorry. I misjudged you." Sora's voice was smooth and pure with the kindness of his heart flowing into each word hoping for forgiveness. Rika stayed still; motionless.

"I don't think it's the best idea to talk to her for a while." Blythe placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. "You're not going to see Rika for a while. Sora looked back at Blythe in even more confusion.

"What does that mean?" Blythe smiled kindly.

"She's thinking, so trust me you don't want to see her when she's in her planning mode." Rika looked up. Her hair gently brushed down her face and into its regular position of messy and curly around her face; not over it. Her eyes almost glowing, one eye a bright blue and the other a dark, crimson red. Sora being almost scared half to death fell backwards.

"What happened to her? What does that mean?" Sora shuffled back a bit on the ground, a bit behind Blythe not sure as to whether Rika was safe or not.

"What, that's never happened to you?" Blythe said as if she's experienced it to.

"What's happening to her though?" Blythe looked up at the sky, thinking over her choice of words.

"I suppose it happens rarely to Rika so I guess it's hard to say if it's the same for every case." Blythe was mumbling to herself more than talking to Sora. "Alright, I'll just tell you what happens in my case then." Blythe smiled happily at Sora and sat next to him. She was just happy he had his mind off of death. It's something she felt he was experiencing too much of as of late. Donald and Goofy sat next to Sora and Blythe and listened in.

Blythe took a deep breath.

"When we have deep feelings of anger or fear, our eyes seem to change colour. During this time, we gain...odd powers."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked suspicious, fingering with a bolt from the Gummi Ship. His eyes moved up and rested on Rika's hunched form, her chin on her fist, her eye colour discerning. Blythe turned her gaze onto them, her deep teal- blue eyes penetrating.

"Elemental things. Rika can blast out fire and air, and I can maniuplate the earth and the water. We think it's a defense mechanism."

"So...Rika's angry?" Sora asked.

"No." Blythe said. "She's afraid."

"WHAT?" Donald, Goofy and Sora exclaimed.

"This mission has so many unknowns Sora." Blythe said quietly, twisting a strand of white hair on her finger. "We have lived by planning every single step and working out all the unknowns when we fight. But this...everything that can possibly go wrong has gone wrong! Our team was beaten up, two ships destroyed, two worlds destroyed...and we've hardly even begun! And we're failing!"

"That's just how it is." Sora said quietly. "You fail before you suceed when you improv. You can't plan Maleficent's next moves, even though you can try your best."

"Yeah." Donald said. "We need to work together."

"As a team." Goofy said. Blythe smiled.

"I think this is good for Rika and I." She said, standing up. She grabbed a sheet of metal from the Gummi Ship, and brought it over to Rika.

"Do you mind?" She asked. Rika looked up at her. Sora felt a shiver go down his spine as Rika's hair fell over her blue eye, leaving the frightning crimson eye visible.

"Nope." She said, she took the sheet of metal form Blythe, and started to smooth out the battered metal. Smoke came out as she straightened out the dents in the metal. It was almost as if she was ironing it.

"You feeling better?" Blythe asked, handing her another huge sheet of metal after Rika was done with the first one.

"Slightly." Rika didn't look up at her. "I feel so weak."

"You're not weak Rika." Blythe said firmly. "Trust me." Rika managed a tiny smile, and held out the sheet of metal.

"I suppose me being afraid makes it easier to re-build the ship." She said. Blythe took it from her.

"Then what are you waiting for?" She asked her.

Rika and Blythe worked diligently on the ship. After Rika had smoothed out all the metal with her temporary fire power, she began to work on the body while Blythe pieced together the wings.

"Blythe?" Sora asked.

"Hm?"

"What are you?" Blythe faltered as she reached for a piece of the metal.

"Didn't we have a conversation about this already?"

"If you called having a conversation running away as your answer." Donald quipped.

"I'm Blythe." She said simply. She could honestly say nothing else. She had no idea. She felt Rika's pity glance on her back.

"If she doesn't want to tell you, she doesn't have to tell you." Rika snapped. "Now go explore, we have a lot of work to do on this ship." Having no choice, the three friends started to walk away.

"What do you think Blythe is?" Sora asked.

"Whatever Rika is?" Goofy asked.

"No, they're different. Blythe is really nice, and sometimes she seems almost…lost. Rika has a lot of self confidence, not to mention she scares me. There's something about her that feels…familiar. Like I've seen her before, but I don't know where."

"She and Rika travel a lot." Donald volunteered. "You could have met her on destiny islands or some other place during our last mission." Goofy shook his head.

"They'd need a Gummi Ship. We could only get to those worlds because of the keyblade. For some reason though, Paris is unlocked. And we haven't been to Paris yet." Sora shrugged.

"For some reason…I think I saw her on destiny islands." Donald and Goofy's shocked faces were evident on their faces.

"WHEN?"

"A photograph. We need to go back to Radiant Gardens."

"WHAT?"

"Listen. I found a photograph on the beaches of Destiny Islands when I was four. It was a girl and a guy, smiling together. The girl looks A LOT like Blythe."

"So…"

"Guys…what if she once lived on Destiny Islands?" Donald and Goofy stared at Sora in shock. "No guys seriously, that's why she could be so hesitant to talk about her past. She knows I'm from Destiny Islands! She's afraid I might recognize her!"

"Well…do you?" Donald asked. Sora's brown furrowed.

"Only from the photograph."

"That's kinda creepy Sora. Keeping someone else's picture." Goofy said, scratching his head.

"I always felt like…I was meant to keep it. Like it was left on the beach for me to find." Donald and Goofy looked at each other.

"It's a keyblade thing." Donald dismissed. Goofy nodded.

"We should go back." He said, pointing to the ship. Sora and Donald snapped their heads up to see Rika and Blythe waving at them. They had totally re-shaped and re-built the Gummi Ship. It was now a deep black, with oddly shaped rocket wings, instead of it's old yellow and orange paint job with…normal looking rocket wings.

"What happened?" Sora asked, as they approached the two girls.

"It looks great right?" Rika said proudly. "It's bigger inside too!" Sora was relieved that her eyes went back to normal.


	8. Memories Returned

Sora had decided that no matter what he was going to find out who they Blythe and Rika were. How were they supposed to work together if they aren't totally open to one another? Sora sighed and glanced at Rika. She was smiling to herself as she was navigating the ship. Sora looked at her eyes, he just couldn't stop worrying about it. He then glanced over at Blythe she was blasting enemy ships that floated by with precise and quick precision.

"What are you doing?" Sora jumped in his seat, feeling like his heart was in his throat from the shock. Rika was sitting next to Sora. Blythe was navigating and shooting enemies.

"N-nothing why?" His voice was a little higher, and unusual then usual.

"I know you're lying." Sora swore he could see her eyes glow. He just realized how much more complex her eye colour was then he had thought. He thought it was hazel, brown and green. However it was even more different. It was mainly green with a blue hint mixed in the green and a brown ring around her pupil.

"Three colours?" Sora said to himself rather confused.

"What?" Rika looked confused.

"Nothing, what are you doing here shouldn't you be steering the ship?" Rika looked at him without responding. Donald and Goofy stared at them in question as to what was happening.

"I know what you're up to. Watch yourself." Rika glared threateningly at Sora as she got up, never taking her eyes off of him. She then went and steered the ship as told. They spent the rest of the trip to the Radiant Garden in silence.

****

"Blythe!" Winnie the Pooh doddled his way over to Blythe and hugged her leg warmly. "Let's go look for hunny!" Pooh stated delightedly. Blythe knew there was no hunny tree out on the streets however the experience of looking for hunny with Winnie the Pooh made her accept his request.

"Alright, let's go then!" She said with a smile. Rika stood beside her and said, "I think I'll stay here and look at the book." Blythe stared back at Rika and nodded in agreement. Winnie the Pooh and the rest of the members from the Hundred Acre Woods went for a walk with everyone except Cid, Rika, Sora and Leon.

"Cid, do you have any data of all residents previously living on Destiny Islands?" Sora looked at Cid with hopeful eyes. Rika on the other hand was sending him hateful glares stating do it and die.

"Yeah, there should be some on the master computer." Cid was referring to the Old Ansem's computer where Tron was.

"Speaking of which I wonder how Tron is." Sora thought pleasant memories. He also thought it was weird how there wasn't many heartless around to fight. At least not many heartless in Radiant Gardens.

"Alright I'm going there." Rika was about to persist in him not looking for such a thing however before that Sora darted out the door with top speed.

"Wait!" Rika yelled and ran after him. They both ran until finally Sora had reached the room with the computer.

"Tron it's me Sora! I need a favour!" He belted loud. Rika came running in. she looked like she had walked while Sora was panting and exhausted from the run.

"Look up all residents from Destiny Islands from when I was about four." Sora looked at Rika while saying this. He was telling her she was too late. Rika scowled and starting thinking of what to do next. A screen popped up with a beeping noise.

"Those two there!" Sora yelled, his panic causing his voice to rise. They looked like the two people from the photograph. Tron selected the two he had gestured at, and brought up the exact photograph that Sora had in his possession. A boy named Terra and a girl named Kaia popped up. Kaia looked very similar to Blythe, but she looked happier, more carefree. The girl in the picture also had long white braids, unlike Blythe's shorter single braid.

"What's this?" Blythe walked into the room and stared at the screen. "Pooh bear and the rest….are back….in the room…" Blythe's eyes were glued to the screen.

"It's someone named Terra and Kai-" Rika pulled out one of her short swords and darted it at Sora. The next thing they knew Sora was pinned against the wall from the sword piercing through his shirt. He was just about scared to death.

"Kaia…" Blythe read the screen. Rika looked down in sadness as Blythe's eyes started to turn an unnatural blue.

"She remembered…" Rika whispered to herself. She had put a spell on Blythe, once she remember who she was her eyes would convert to the way it was naturally. Sora looked at Blythe….Kaia in awe.

"Terra was one of the very first keyblade wielders," Rika began the explanation.

"He was best friends with Blythe…Kaia when they were younger. He went on…let's say a mission of sorts trying to help the world. Kaia went looking for him however one day….she was attacked by heartless." Sora flinched. The heartless seemed to be the cause of all sadness in some way.

"They took her as a prisoner. I saved her however the experience was too much her so I took her in." Rika nodded however Blythe seemed to be daydreaming of some sort. The ground started shaking as a big purple metal creature rose from the ground. It was slightly transparent, with a cloud of darkness float around it. Its eyes were pulsing a dull, bloody red with its eyes piercing through everyone in the room. Blythe looked up at it, her eyes grew wide and changed colours just as Rika's did. However her's were a dark, very dark blue and light brown eyes. Sora wasn't scared from Blythe's eyes compared to Rika's though; Blythe's eyes were sincere and confident. What scared Sora from Rika's eyes was the mystery of whether they were good or evil, Blythe's eyes seemed to scream the truth.

"I REMEMBER!" Blythe shouted at the creature. Anger, fear and sadness started to overwhelm Blythe, her arm was stretched out to the right with an open palm. A blast of white light encircled around it, blinding everyone. Blythe continued to stare at the heartless with bloodlust. Soon enough, Blythe too had a keyblade in her hand. She was about to charge forward with it however Rika stepped in front of the heartless. Blythe darted forward not caring, just wanting to get revenge. Rika changed her stance, she swiftly, silently ducked under the hand where Blythe was holding her keyblade, circled around her and got two fingers tapping her on her back. A ripple of wind came forth from where Rika had tapped Blythe's back. Blythe fell forward leaving Sora scared, Rika was staring at Blythe and frowning.

"I'm going to the ship. Take Blythe back with you to the house. When she's explained everything to you get me. Until then don't bother even trying to contact me." Rika glared back at Sora, a gust of wind swirled around Rika as she stared at Sora until her body had disappeared.

****

_"No Kaia, you do it like this!" A teenage boy said, gripping his best friend's wrists, so she could finally swing the sword correctly. The young girl's face shone as she made a perfect arc with her __wooden sword.  
_

_"I did it Terra!" She sounded so astounded, that Terra burst out laughing. __She glared at him, putting him in his place.  
_

_"I'm sorry." He said quickly. Kaia poked him with a stick.  
_

_"You're semi-forgiven." She replied, smiling at the grin that crossed Terra's face. Suddenly, the entire island started to shake. Lava spouted from the volcano.  
_

_"KAIA!" Terra yelled, reaching out for her, but she had already fallen.  
_

_"TERRA!" She screamed.  
_

_"Hang on!" He shouted, grabbing her hand and yanking her back up.  
_

_"Terra! Look out!" Kaia shrieked. A wave of hot lava was cascading down towards them. There was no escape. Terra threw up his sword, a futile effort he knew. Please God, save us! He prayed. Suddenly, a burst of blinding white light came. Something in Terra gave him the initiative to swing the light, towards the lava. He could hear Kaia scream his name in fear, but nothing could penetrate his concentration, the absolute power he was feeling. He swung the light again, causing the lava to turn grey and harden. He kept a death grip on his sword, shocked at what he had just done. He felt a slight touch on his arm. He looked up and saw Kaia gazing at him, a mixture of shock and awe evident in her teal- blue eyes.  
_

_"We're okay now Terra." She whispered, pushing his arms down from their battle stance. He looked down, and stiffened in shock. He no longer held the wooden sword. he held a bronze blade, complete with a blue handle. Although it was extremely heavy, he held it up to the light.  
_

_"A keyblade." He said softly. He felt Kaia's grip on his arm tighten.  
_

_"How do you know?" She asked.  
_

_"It just...came to me." He told her._

***

***

_"Terra don't go!" Kaia begged, wrapping her fingers around his arm. Terra tugged one of her__ curiously white pigtailed braids in affection.  
_

_"It's what I have to do Kaia. I am one of the masters of a keyblade. I have to go and restore balance to the worlds."  
_

_"But it's dan__gerous." Kaia whispered, tears rolling down her face.  
_

_"Hey." Terra said softly. "I'll be back soon. I promise."  
_

_"Promise?"  
_

_"Promise."  
_

_"Terra, time to go." The two teenagers looked up to see Mickey (whom they had met only hours before) standing at the door of the ship.  
_

_"Yeah." Terra turned to go.  
_

_"Terra wait!" Terra turned again, to see Kaia's __silver and sapphire locket hanging in front of his face. "Take it with you."  
_

_"Kaia, I-" Terra protested as he opened the locke__t, but gasped when he saw the picture in there. Kaia had taken out the picture of her dead parents to substitute it for a picture of them.  
_

_"Don't forget about me." She whispered. Terra smiled.  
_

_"I have this as well you know." He held up the photograph that had been taken of them at his last birthday. "I'll be back." He started to give back the locket, but Kaia pushed it back at him.  
_

_"Keep it." She whispered. __"It'll protect you." Terra nodded, pocketing it. He turned to go climb into the ship. Mickey helped him up. Before the doors closed, the last thing Terra saw was Kaia's tear-filled eyes. He had to look away so he wouldn't cry too._

_***  
_

_"Auntie, you don't understand! Terra promised he would be back! It's been two years!" Kaia protested. __"Something's happened to him! I just know it!"  
_

_"You can't go after him. Only the keyblade master can travel between worlds."  
_

_"I'll figure out a way." Kaia said determin__edly.  
_

_"No Kaia. You__r uncle and I promised your parents we would keep you safe."  
_

_"I'm sixteen now!" Kaia yelled. "I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions."  
_

_"No Kaia." Her aunt said firmly. Spinning on her heel, Kaia stalked to her room._

_***_

_Dark had just fallen. Kaia packed her backpack with food and extra clothing before carefully lowering herself out her window. Terra had promised he would come back. If he hadn't come back by now, something serious must have happened to him. She found her way to the cave by the light of the full moon. She ran a hand over the door. After Terra had left, she had done research on travelling between worlds. Unless you could wield a keyblade, this was the only way to travel between worlds. But, it was dangerous. No one had survived this method of travelling. But, if it could bring her to Terra, it would be worth it. She pushed at the door. It didn't budge. She slammed her fists on the door.  
_

_"Please! Let me find Terra! He's with King Mickey and he__ is a keyblade master!" Kaia didn't know which word that she uttered initiated it, but the door dissolved in a burst of blue light. Turning around, Kaia took one last long look at the full moon and stars that decorated the beaches and sky of Destiny Islands. She knew that this could be the last time she saw it. She wasn't coming back without Terra. She walked into the light, blinking as it enveloped her._

_***_

_"TELL ME WHERE HE IS!" The green faced lady screamed at her.  
_

_"I don't know!" Kaia protested weakly. "And even if I did, I would never tell you." She cried out as green flame enveloped her body again. It had been a stupid mistake that had brought her here. Needless to say, her method of world travelling had worked. She had wandered around a town, until she heard someone say the name 'Terra'. Zeroing in on the source of the voice, she had gone up to the green-faced lady and asked if she knew where Terra was. Being nice then, the lady said sweetly that she thought that she had seen him at the centre of the town. Elated, she spent the entire day searching for the centre of town. Once she had gotten there, she had been ambushed by thousands of monsters that she now knew as heartless. They had brought her to a lair in the middle of a desert.  
_

_"Lies!" The green faced lady hissed. "Now tell me!" Kaia said nothing, but screamed as dozens of heartless started jumping on her.  
_

_"You will pay for your lies." The green- faced lady said menacingly. Everything had gone _

_black after that._

_***  
When Kaia had come to, she saw a pair of hazel eyes staring down at her.  
_

_"Who- who are you?" She rasped out.  
_

_"I saved you from Maleficent." The girl said.  
_

_"Who?" Kaia choked out again. She tried to remember, but she couldn't. With a rush of fear, she realized that she couldn't even remember her own name.  
_

_"My name is Rika." The girl said patiently.  
_

_"Who am I?" Kaia asked, panic rising.  
_

_"Relax. Your name is Blythe." The panic Kaia had felt died down immediately.  
_

_"Blythe. Yes, that sounds right." From that moment on, she was Blythe__ and she had never looked back.  
_

Terra stared at the moving water. Four years later, he had come back to Destiny Islands, for Kaia. He had gone to her uncle and aunt's house, but with tears pouring down their faces, they had told him she had disappeared two years ago, to go look for him. Fear rising in him, he had rushed out in the ship to try and find her. When he finally came across Radiant Gardens, he had finally found an old woman who had seen her. She had been looking for him, she had said. She had been asking for directions to get the centre of town. But, once she had reached the centre of town, she had been attacked by hundreds of heartless. They took her away. She had never returned.

This is what had brought him back to Destiny Islands. He took out her locket that he had forever worn around his neck. The locket had protection and healing charms merged with it. Kaia had known this and given it to him, hoping it would keep him safe. And it did. The locket had saved his life numerous times over the past four year. Kaia. The mere mention of her name twisted a knife in his heart. But, something told her that she wasn't dead. She was out there- somewhere. For the first time since they had become friends, she was out of his reach. Terra lifted his gaze. This very moment, he was looking at the four year old who would eventually be the next keyblade master. Terra took the crumpled photo of him and Kaia. He looked at it, feeling a wave of grief rise and crash over him. If she was still alive, it would be this boy who found her. This boy was going to be the best keyblade master that had ever walked this earth. Terra dropped the photo on the ground, willing for the boy to find her.  
"Don't screw up like I did kid." He whispered. Turning on his heel, he went and boarded his ship again. He would lay out all the clues the boy needed to find Kaia. And if he found her- Terra hoped he would see her again too. As he sat down at the controls, he took out the locket once again, this time opening it to reveal the picture of him and Kaia. He missed her. A lot. _You better be safe Kaia. _He thought.

***

Blythe woke with a start, sweat covering her face. The memories were overpowering her and it was like she couldn't see reality anymore. All she saw was Maleficent face, curled into a sneer as hundreds of heartless jumped on her. She couldn't scream.

"Shhh, it's okay." Rika whispered, bringing a cold cloth to wipe her head.

"Is she alright?" Sora asked, feeling horribly guilty.

"I don't know." Rika answered, grief filling her voice. "She's a strong girl- I hope she'll make it."

"Umm, Sora?" Leon said as he came in. "Tron wants to talk to you." Standing up, Sora followed Leon back to the control room.

"What is it Tron?"

"The data you accessed wasn't completely accurate." Tron said.

"What do you mean? Did you see the reaction we got out of her?" Sora demanded.

"Sora, the data was off by two years. It appears that Blythe, or Kaia, disappeared when you were two, not four. And Terra hasn't existed on Destiny Islands since you were a couple days old."

"Why is it not accurate?" Sora demanded, but the answer formed in his head as he asked the question. He had found the picture when he was four. Someone had adjusted the data so that he would be able to find it easier. Someone had wanted him to find Blythe.

"Someone changed it."

"Terra. He came back." Sora whispered. "He found out that she was gone, and left the responsibility of finding her to me. Why?"

"You are the most masterful keyblade wielder that has ever walked this earth Sora." Tron said through the speakers. "Terra knew that she was unreachable by him." Sora smiled quietly. Now, he hoped that Blythe/ Kaia would be okay. She would probably be anxious to see Terra again.

***  
When Blythe finally opened her eyes, Rika, Aerith, Donald, Goofy and Sora were leaning over her.

"She's alright!" Goofy exclaimed, highfiving Sora and Donald.

"Blythe?" Rika asked anxiously. Blythe sat up slowly.

"I'm okay." She said softly. "We should really go."

"We can go look for Terra, Blythe or Kaia."

"Blythe." Blythe said firmly. "And no. We will finish the mission. If I cross paths with Terra again, it will be because I'm supposed to."

"But-" Sora protested.

"No Sora. The universe is in our hands. We have to save it. I'm going to trust destiny like I should have a long time ago." Rika nodded, a sense of pride filling her. Everyone else agreed. After everyone left her to her privacy, Blythe felt her eyes fill with tears. Destiny Islands was destroyed. Her aunt and uncle were dead.


	9. Atlantica

"Alright, listen up everyone! As you already know I have called for a meeting." Rika was standing in front of Donald, Goofy, Sora, Blythe, Leon, Cid, Merlin, Cloud and Rain. They all were sitting around, a circular stone table in the middle of their usual room.

"We have already established that Aghraba, Destiny Islands, Never land and the hundred acre woods. All of these islands were destroyed by Maleficent. What she's planning we have yet to figure out. Now what is the status here in Radiant Gardens?" Rika sat down and waited for someone to rise and discuss the happenings of the Radiant Gardens.

"Well, there really is nothing going on at the moment." Leon said without standing though. Rika sighed.

"Incorrect, the Hundred Acre Woods was destroyed, that is easily classified as something going on in this world. It's highly probable the next world to be destroyed is here." Blythe stated to Leon.

"Exactly." Rika nodded in agreement.

"Highly probable? We can't just sit here and wait though! What if another world is being destroyed at this minute?" Sora argued back at Rika and Blythe.

"And how are we supposed to stop the world from goin' if we don't know what's causing it in the first place?" Goofy added to Sora's remark.

"You're right; we can't stay here waiting for the world to start being ripped apart. It seems that every world is destroyed in a different manner. As such all we can do is play it by ear." Rika responded while leaning under the table, placing a giant bag on the table and then sliding it over to Blythe.

"So we're going to travel to multiple worlds. In each world we're going to set one of these up." Blythe pulled out a bunch of metal pieces. In less than five seconds, her hands as swift as lightning put together all the tiny metal pieces creating a small device which had a bright, glowing, blue liquid inside it. "So we are going to release this blue liquid onto each planet. I suppose you could say it has a mind of its own. It will inform Rika and I of any unknown or potentially dangerous thing which enters or comes up on the planet it is located on." Blythe got up slowly while still holding the liquid.

"So, we're releasing this one right outside your house. It will spread across this world detecting anything and everything. After that we're going to go travel to as many worlds as we can, trying to save them." Rika said as she too got up. Blythe and Rika started walking out the door.

"There's more to that right?" Sora asked as he too got up to follow the two.  
You know us so well~" Rika said as she looked back at Sora with a broad smile. Sora stopped at this statement. It just hit him. What does he really know about them? He knows some background information for Blythe, but he still didn't know exactly what they were. With that eye thing with their elemental magic, it was so different then what Sora had experienced so far. As for Rika, she seemed to be similar in some aspects with Blythe yet so different. She really was clouded in pure mystery.

"It will also give us a brief review of the kind of thing we're up against. It may not give us much at some times, but it's better than nothing." Blythe said as the three of them exited the room. Everyone else quickly got up and rushed outside to follow them.

"What made you think of making this? And when did you make it??" Donald asked suspiciously. His arms were crossed and he slightly leaned in towards Rika and Blythe.

"It doesn't take long to make it. So we did it a bit before this meeting." Rika said kind of

blankly, like it was an obvious answer.

"We made it because we figured the attack most likely corresponds to the Kingdom stone. If what we think is true, which it probably will be, then this liquid will pick up all the info we need." Blythe popped open the lid to the container. The liquid glowed even brighter until Sora and the rest had to shield their eyes. Sora's last glimpse before the light blinded him was Rika staring sadly into the light, her eyes glistening and no need to look away from that blinding light through Sora in awe. Why she looked so sad, Sora hadn't the foggiest clue.

"It's done. We should really start moving on now." Blythe said as she turned around, little blue sparkles of light silently fluttering down to the ground all around them.

I the gummy ship everyone was fighting over the controls, shooting crossing enemy ships and so on. Blythe and Rika on the other hand were at the back relaxing. Rika glanced over at Blythe who was watching them all in amusement.

"Blythe, I know you're not completely content with continuing this façade." Blythe looked over at Rika with at first shock but then sighed.

"Everything is a little weird right now. It's true though, I really do want t go look for Terra. However you know as well as I do, I can't do that right now! We have something more critical on our hands which we have to deal with first. Besides, while we travel there's still the possibility of me finding him right?" Blythe looked at Rika happily, with hope filling her eyes.

"Yes that's right." Rika closed her eyes slightly, grinned a sorrowfully and looked towards the ground. Blythe looked at Rika in wonder there were so many questions she wanted to ask.  
"Rika, what were you doing when you saved me from the heartless?" Rika looked at Blythe. She

knew what she had meant.

"I was there not because I was sided with the heartless or anything. It was because I know something that you still don't know. You know about your past however you've still yet to find out completely who you are. I went there to get you away from that bi-" Sora, Donald and Goofy were looking back at Rika and Blythe.

"Would you try to keep this PG???" Donald said in a little fury. Rika laughed a little and apologized.

"What is it that I'm missing?" Blythe said half to Rika half to herself.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Rika laughed a bit harder, she loved using those kinds of phrases.

"Fine! You know all about my past but what about yours?" Blythe stared at Rika whose face turned emotionless.

"There really isn't anything to say." Rika said coolly as she got up and stood at the front of the ship with the rest. Blythe looked on at her, wondering why her past was such a touchy subject. She had no idea what Rika's true aspiration in life was, where she was going, where she went but one thing Blythe still knew was that Rika was kind, wasn't going to do anything bad and most of all was still all their friend.

"Sorry Rika." Blythe whispered for forcing her into talking about her past.

"Thank you everyone, for caring." Rika whispered back while grinning at her friends who were staring at her in a bit of panic. They didn't know she had known that Donald, Goofy and Sora were listening in their conversation.

"So does that mean you'll tell us your past?" Sora asked excitedly. He was leaning on his chair and staring at Rika with big round, deep blue eyes.

"I said thanks for caring, not please piss me off by asking me more questions about my past. Do it again and I'll smack you." Rika rose a teasing yet slightly threatening hand.

"Okay, okay!" Sora exasperated as he started to coward behind his seat.

"Sora! We've found a reading!" Donald yelled at him, causing everyone to rush to the front to see what was going on.

"It's Atlantica! It looks fine from here. Let's hurry in!" Donald shoved the thruster forward. Blythe and Rika cursed at him a bit, for not being gentle and all. They landed smoothly once Rika and Blythe took over Donald's place.

"We're here." Rika looked around the world with wide eyes and happiness overwhelming her.

"I think this is my favourite world yet." Rika swirled in the water. Her fins were black and resembled a shark's tail. Blythe swam beside her, half dolphin.

***

"Sweet." Blythe exclaimed, as she flipped upside down during their swim. It was a wonderful moment of peace. Her thoughts had been filled with Terra since she had woken up. What had happened to him? There was a huge part of her that wanted to go and find him. To see if he was alright. To see if he was the Terra she now remembered him to be. But, the mission came first, as did Rika. She owed Rika her life. Plus, Rika was her best friend. There was no way she could desert Rika.

"Focus Blythe." Rika warned, but she flipped upside down as well.

"Guys..we need to find Ariel!" Sora said, bringing Donald and Goofy to attention.

"Who's Ariel?" Rika asked lazily.

"Our friend." Sora answered.

"Oh. Okay. We should probably go and find her then." Rika said, motioning Blythe over.  
The group started to swim, immensely enjoying the freedom the water gave them. Rika did flips, Donald and Goofy joined. But, Sora couldn't help but realize how distracted Blythe appeared. He swam over to her.

"Blythe...are you okay?" He asked. Blythe looked at him, the colour of her eyes matching the colour of the water.

"Sora...when I remembered, I summoned a key blade." She said softly. "Now, I can't do it again. Why is that?" Sora shrugged.

"You don't trust your heart Blythe. You trust your intullect, your instincts and your plans. But, right now, you're not following your heart. Your heart wants to find Terra. Without this fufilled, the keyblade will not work for you." Blythe turned her head away.

"My heart doesn't matter. It's not that simple Sora. There's an entire universe at stake here! To follow my heart just so I can use a keyblade is foolish."

"Maybe they're the same thing. Maybe in order to save the universe, you must face your past- Terra. I had to face Riku."

"And how did that go?"

"I beat him." Sora boasted. "But he was kinda possessed, so it didn't really count." Blythe opened her mouth to reply, but a piece of coral hit her in the back of the head. A big smile spread across Sora's face when he saw who had thrown it.

"Riku!" He exclaimed. "Your majesty! What are you doing here?" Donald and Goofy had quickly flitted to his side when they had caught sight of the king, dressed in scuba gear.

"Heya guys!" Mickey said, swimming towards them. "I thought I'd join you guys on this one."

"Sure...but why?" Donald asked. Mickey shrugged.

"Do I need to have a reason to help my friends?" He asked. Sora shrugged, smiled, and started to chase after Riku, who had just called him 'fish boy.' Donald, Goofy and Rika started up their game again. Blythe swam along quietly.

"Mind if I join you?" Mickey asked softly. Blythe shrugged.

"Nope." They swam in silence.

"I know you remembered." Mickey said suddenly.

"Yeah." Blythe said, her voice breaking.

"Look, Kaia. I didn't mean to hurt you all those years ago-"

"Blythe. Not Kaia." Blythe said quickly. Mickey shook his head.

"No. The name you were born with was Kaia. It was the name that was given to you by your parents and it is what your uncle and aunt called you. It is also what Terra knew you by. That name is you. Blythe is a totally different person. I didn't protest then, because you were that person. You couldn't remember anything. But, now, that you remember, a large part of you is Kaia again."

"Fine. Call me Kaia." Blythe muttered, mainly to get him off her back.

"Kaia, after we left Destiny Islands over ten years ago, Terra wouldn't stop looking at the picture of the two of you. He asked if I could keep an eye on you. I promised I would. Everytime I checked with him and his partners, he would always ask about you. He never forgot you. But, after two years, I had to lie. You had disappeared, and I couldn't locate you. I lied to Terra to keep him focussed. Except, the lie was broken when he went back to Destiny Islands without me knowing. He discovered that I had been lying to him and he went beserk. Even after he left the clues for Sora, he searched for you. He finally confronted Maleficent about your whereabouts. She told him that she had killed you after you refused to give up his name. So, Terra jointed Maleficent." Blythe gasped

"No!"

"I'm sorry Kaia. At first, it was only so he could go undercover and kill her when she least expected it. But, his grief for you made Terra weak against the darkness. He was consumed by it."

"Why?" Blythe asked, her voice shaky. Mickey out a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Terra isn't Sora. There are things that only a keyblade master can acheive."

"That's why you made contact with Rika and I. You knew who I was." Blythe blurted out randomly. "But you never said anything, because you were doing your Disney hocus pocus stuff and let things come when they were meant to." Mickey nodded.

"Also to keep you safe." Mickey said. Blythe nodded.

"Thanks Mickey."

"You're welcome Kaia. Remember- I would like Terra back on our side too." He whispered. Blythe nodded.

"Well, Riku and I should be off. I've done my part here." Blythe smiled as Mickey waved Riku down, causing Sora, Donald and Goofy to look aghast.

"Your majesty, I thought you said that you were going to help us out!" Sora exclaimed.

"Sorry guys, something came up! Good luck though!" Waving, Riku and the King floated to the surface. The rest of the group continued their journey.

****

"Sora! Donald! Goofy! Thank goodness!" A small red crab came scuttling towards them.

"Sebastien!" Sora said happily, letting the crab scuttle up on his hand. "This is Rika and Blythe." He said, gesturing to them.

"Pleasure. Listen, could you help me out? I'm missing a ton of actors for my musical."

"Musical?" Blythe said slowly.

"No." Rika said, shaking her head.

"We'll be honoured!" Sora said, punching his fist in the air. Donald and Goofy agreed.

"Come then!" Sebastien said, scurrying off. "Do you remember Swim this Way?"

"Yeah!" Sora said, giving the crab a thumbs up.

"Come then!" Sora, Donald and Goofy shouted enthusically, and pulled Rika and Blythe after them.

****


	10. Excalibur

"I hate you. I really hate you." Blythe whispered to Sora, as they stood on stage waiting for the music to begin.

"Just wait! I had the same feelings." The music started.

"Swim this way and we'll dance and we'll play now, It's very easy come on in, just take a chance and shake a fin." Sora, Donald and Goofy sang. Blythe and Rika attempted to dance along, but felt extremely stupid.

"Don't be shy let the music inside and dance, dance dance!" Sora accidently smacked Rika in the face with his hand. Rika started to chase after him for her revenge, but Blythe grabbed her.

"Rika! We're on stage!"

"Swim this way we'll dance and we'll play now, It's very easy come on in, just take a chance and shake a fin..." Another voice was suddenly added on to the chorus. Blythe turned to see an extremely beautiful mermaid with bright red hair join their musical.

"Ariel!" Sora said. "Flounder! You're here!"

"Sorry we're late." Ariel whispered, dancing to the music like Sora, Donald and Goofy. The five opened their mouths and began to sing again.

"See the sign, will you reach it in time? Just tap, tap tap!" Sora swam up and tapped the shell.

"Is it over yet?" Blythe whispered to Rika. Rika opened her mouth to reply, but was drowned out by the chrous being belted out again.

"Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play now, it's very easy come on in just take a chance and shake fin."

"What the heck is with all the random dolphins swimming?" Rika demanded Blythe. Blythe shrugged, and tried to look like she knew what she was doing.

"It's all the same, if you got steady aim and zap, zap, zap!" Sora projected a beam of light from his keyblade and lit up the entire theatre. The audience oohed and ahhed.

"Show off." Blythe muttered.

"Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play now, it's very easy come on in, just take a chance and shake a fin..."

"How long is this stupid song?" Rika moaned.

"Just a touch and it won't be too much to pop! pop! pop!"

"Crap...I popped the bubbles too soon." Blythe groaned. She groaned even louder when Sora grabbed her and Rika to dance beside them. They sang the chorus again, before moving on to the next verse.

"Count him in so he'll know to begin, to drum drum drum!"

"Having fun?" Sora asked Rika.

"Kinda..." Rika said. And she was. She was really starting to get the dance.

"Don't dilly-dally it's your big finale sha-la-la!" The next chorus was louder then it ever had been before, because Rika and Blythe finally joined in.

"Swim this way we'll dance and we'll play now, come on in, just take a chance and shake a fin..."

"Swim along and join in the song, a musical for everyone to have a lot of finny fun..." Ariel sang loudly, so that it would reach every end of the theater. The audience gave them a standing ovation. Rika turned to Sora.

"Now what?"

***

"Now another one mon!" Sebastien clawed his way through the water towards Rika and patted her with his claw on her back.

"I don't think so, not now." Rika said pulling out another container filled with blue liquid.

"You guys go ahead; I'll be right back I promise!" She said as she started to swim expertly away. Blythe looked at her and knew she would be back quickly, Rika was having too much fun to delay her return to singing the songs.

"Let's begin then, Sora?" Sora was starting to swim away after Rika, turning back while saying quickly, "I'm just going to talk to your father quickly, I'll be back soon as well with Rika!" He swam off quickly trying to catch up to Rika. Areal and the rest continued singing while Blythe sang while playing with the group of dolphins.

***

"Rika wait up!" Sora said as he swam up to Rika.

"This looks like a good spot." Rika was looking up at the surface of the ocean with a serene grin. The water glowed from the top and illuminated both Sora and Rika in a wavering, soft light. She gently popped open the lid and once again the blinding light resurfaced creating Sora to shield his eyes. Once he opened them again light blue sparkled of light were floating around them, softly sinking to the bottom of the ocean then disappearing mysteriously.

"What are you doing here?" Rika asked Sora.

"I figured we could both go look for the King and ask for the status of this world so far." Rika stared at Sora for a while thinking, she agreed quickly after and they both set off swimming towards the giant castle.

"Swim this way, we'll laugh and we'll play...." Sora started humming to himself.

"Would you knock it off? You're a horrible singer." Sora looked at Rika hurtfully.

"What are you talking about? I was in a musical even!" Sora protested.

"That doesn't make you a good singer." Rika denied his thoughts of him being a star singer, she just couldn't see how he was even accepted as a singer.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you! When we sing either you look serious and we can't hear you sing, or you don't take it seriously and just goof of singing horribly!" Rika looked back at Sora threateningly.

"I'm not a great singer but I can SO sing!" Rika spun around and hit Sora with her tail. Soon enough the two of them got in a small fight with water swirling around them.

"Alright, let's stop now." Sora panted at Rika, who seemed unaffected by the fight.

"I won," she muttered to herself. Sora went to look up at Rika after brushing some dirt off of him, until he saw a large glowing white mirror behind Rika.

"What's that Rika? Hurry and get away from it!" Sora was thinking how that was going to be the destroyer of Atlantica.

"What is it?" Rika looked behind her, into the mirror. Her eyes grew wide as she saw her reflection, within the reflection the past her and the world she once knew.

"Rika!" Sora yelled as a hand covered in a black leather glove pulled Rika into the shining mirror. Quickly the mirror disappeared. Sora swam as fast as he could back to the others.

*****

"Make them WRITHE!!" Blythe was belting as she swam beside Arial.

"Blythe! Donald, Goofy, everyone!" They all stopped singing immediately and turned to focus their attention on the devastatingly stricken Sora.

"What is it?" Blythe said seriously, she didn't see Rika which was never a good sign.

"Rika was pulled into some mirror and disappeared!" Everyone was startled. They regrouped and discussed what they should do. They went to the King however nothing strange was going on in his world, nor was there a slightest show of any mirror considering how he hated human possessions. They finally decided to disembark and search at another world.

"It's all my fault Sora said as he looked up at the ceiling of the gummy ship. He was replaying the moment in his head, thinking of how he could have prevented Rika from being pulled away.

"It's not your fault Sora. Besides, she's tough, you don't actually think it would be that easy for her to get injured or captured do you?" Blythe sat beside Sora and patted him on the shoulder. She couldn't help but think how her one best friend, Terra, had disappeared and now her second closest friend was gone too. She shook her head thinking how it wasn't possible, she had been with Rika so long that the one person she could depend on and trust was Rika.

"She'll be back, definitely." Blythe said to both Sora and herself. A flash of light beamed into the ship as a ghastly looking Rika flew out of it and onto the floor.  
Her hair was cast over her face, her head slowly lifted as her eyes looked back at them all with at first eyes that looked colder than ice. She slowly changed, back into her semi-old self. She still looked like she had been fighting a lot, like she was fatigued. She slowly got up, with the help of Blythe lending her a shoulder. Sora led her to a seat and sat her down. Even Donald and Goofy went back and stood in front of her looking with concern.

"What happened?" Sora barely managed to get the question out of his mouth from total shock at her appearance.

"Nothing." Rika replied. Blythe looked down at her and knew, whatever happened definitely had something to do with Rika's past. The expression she was showing was the same she showed Blythe whenever she asked about Rika's past and went too far.

"Alright, we'll ask you alter. Just get some rest." Blythe laid Rika own as she flipped over and quickly fell asleep. The others decided they wouldn't bring it up until Rika decided herself to tell them.

****

Blythe pulled the covers up to Rika's chin and sighed. She turned to Sora.

"Just let her rest." Sora nodded.

"What do you think happened there?"

"I don't know." Blythe answered, motioning them to leave the small room located in the back of the Gummi Ship. They all filed to the control room, where Donald, Goofy and Sora promptly got into a fight over the controls.

"Let me!

"It's my turn!"

"Shut up!" Blythe ordered. "Goofy's driving." Sora and Donald spun around to protest.

"Awwww....Blythe!"

"Yeah Blythe, why does Goofy get to drive."

"Because he's my favourite. Come on people! We have no time to waste!" Pouting, Sora and Donald slumped back in their seat.

"Where to?" Blythe asked.

"Whatever world isn't destroyed." Donald muttered sarcastically. Blythe laughed and relaxed against her seat as Goofy lifted off into the sky.

***

"Hey...this world looks okay! Let's go down here!" Sora said, gesturing to a world with rolling green hills and a stone castle in the middle.

"Gawrsh Sora, this world looks kinda familiar."

"Yeah...." Sora said, thinking.

"Can we just go down already?" Donald demanded. Everyone laughed.

"I'm going to go and check in on Rika." Blythe said, as Goofy touched down the ship lightly.

"Nice landing Goof!" Sora said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Gee thanks Sora!" The three friends filed out of the Gummi Ship. Donald yawned and stretched.

"I'm tired. We should have asked the King for a bigger ship."

"We're doing the best we can Donald." Sora said reasonably. "But we have two more people to bunk with now."

"But only three hours of sleep a night? Have you thought about how it would affect our fighting?" Donald grumbled as they walked towards the castle courtyard. Goofy patted Donald on the head sympathically. "That's it!" DOnald declared and jumped on Goofy.

"Guys..." Sora groaned. He didn't bother to break them up. He kept walking towards the castle with an exasperated expression on his face.

"Hey why are Goofy and Donald fighting?" Blythe asked, practically materializing beside him. Sora was used to it by now.

"Goofy applied that Donald was short." Sora said, shaking his head as he heard Goofy's gawrshs and Donald's quacks. "Okay guys that's enough." Sora called over his shoulder. They joined him, both grumbling.

"Hey where's Rika?" Donald asked.

"Still sleeping. I'm pretty sure she's f-" A huge blast shook the courtyard.

"She's back!" Sora heard the shouts of the guards. "Alert the king!"

"Ready?" Sora demanded, spinning to face his friends. Blythe had her laser bow and laser arrow-making glove in her right hand. She was braced and ready to shoot. Donald had his staff and Goofy had his shield. Sora summoned his keyblade and they held their form has the shaking subsided.

"What was that?" Goofy asked, craning his head around.

"GET DOWN!" Blythe screamed. Sora, Donald and Goofy threw themselves to the ground, covering their heads as Blythe shot her laser arrows repeatedly at the threat. Sora peaked through his crossed arms to see the cause of the destruction. It was an enormous purple dragon blowing fire and knocking over buildings. It was unaffected by Blythe's arrows.

"Madame Mim!" Donald hollered, aiming a freezing spell at the dragon.

"Who?" Sora demanded.

"We're in Camelot Sora. This is where Merlin's from. A couple years ago, him and King Arthur defeated Madame Mim and we put her away in the Disney Villain Prison. She escaped a couple of months ago.

"Gawrsh. Well I think we found her!" Goofy said, twirling so fast he made a tornado. He aimed himself at Madame Mim and hit her with a bam. The dragon teetered and toppled over on the wall of the courtyard. Blythe strung another arrow and aimed it for the softer part under the dragon's arms.

"AHHH!" Madame Mim screamed, falling over. Sora sprang in and start to hit at her. The monster writhed in pain after each blow brought on monstrous waves of pain. With the help of Donald's Aeroga spell, Blythe had jumped up on a tower. She was now shooting her laser arrows at various places on the dragon. Madame Mim roared. Sora flipped his keyblade upward and delivered another blow. Madame Mim roared and let out a burst of flames. Sora was thrown back, clutching his arm over his new burn.

"Sora!" Blythe cried.

"I'm alright! Donald, Goofy!"

"We're on it!" Donald said, sending a blast of blizzard towards Madame Mim. Goofy kicked, punched and did his tornado again.

"Donald! Comet!" Sora yelled. Donald sent one more blast of blizzard at the purple dragon, before running towards Sora, dodging falling bricks and flames. Blythe had climbed down from the tower. She had her arrows out again, her stance and face locked in concentration. It wasn't until Donald had reached them that Sora saw the whirling energy slowly forming around Blythe.

"What's going on?" Donald demanded. The energy seemed almost liquid.

"No time!"

"Comet!" Donald and Sora shouted at the same time. Donald was enveloped in a bubble of magic, and followed Sora as he charged towards Madame Mim again. Once he reached her, Sora raised his keyblade and with Donald's help, he hit the purple dragon with a lighting-like blast.

"Look out!" Blythe called. Sora glanced back, his mouth dropping open in shock. Blythe's entire form was shaking with effort. Water was swirling around her, causing her albino hair to whip around her face. The power was most concentrated on her arrow. Sora grabbed Goofy and dived off to the side. Donald followed, feeling the air whistle as the arrow flew past them, hitting Madame Mim in the stomach.

"Now Sora!" Blythe screamed. Sora and Donald jumped towards Madame Mim and hit Madame Mim with a lighting bolt in the same spot. Madame Mim roared and then stopped moving.

"Is she dead?" Blythe asked, breathing hard. Her face was contorted in pain and her hand was gripped tightly over her arm.

"Just knocked out." Sora answered.

"Donald and I will take her back to the prison." Goofy said, throwing a little box-like thing at Madame Mim. The box let out a burst of light and Madame Mim's unconscious body disappeared.

"Nice." Blythe commented. "We should invest in one of those."

"Gawrsh these things? We have like fifty of them."

****

After the Gummi Ship had taken off, Blythe and Sora stood in front of the ruined courtyard with an extremely grumpy Rika.

"I can't believe you didn't wake me up! I missed ALL the action!" She complained as Blythe tried to fix her rumpled brown hair. She finally gave up and ponytailed it.

"Excuse me?" They turned to see a guard kneeling in front of them.

"What?" Rika snapped.

"The king wants to meet the four heroes who saved Camelot." The knight answered, looking confused at only seeing two of them.

"The other two left to take Madame Mim back to prison." Sora said quickly. The guard forced a smile and gestured for them to follow.

****

The castle inside was extremely regal. The stone was elegantly carved into beautiful designs and tapestries decorated the interior elegantly. The three friends walked on a soft, scarlet carpet, which led to an elaborate stone throne. To their great shock, the figure sitting on the throne couldn't be more then fourteen years old. Standing beside him was an wonderfully familiar man.

"Merlin!" Sora said, grinning. Merlin raised his hand in greeting. To Sora's great surprise, Riku and Mickey stepped out from behind the throne.

"Your majesty! Riku!" Sora said happily. Blythe and Rika nodded their heads in greeting.

"Kaia! Rika! Sora!" Mickey said, waving. "This is King Arthur."

"This is the kid that uses Excalibur?" Rika asked incredulously.

"Don't underestimate him." Merlin warned. Blythe shushed Rika.

"Why are you here your majesty?"

"Because I knew you were. Plus, we were asking King Arthur for his help in the war against Maleficent."

"I said I would." Arthur said, gripping the handle of his sword.

"I also want to have a meeting…at the round table."

****

A couple minutes later, Sora, Mickey, Riku, Blythe and Rika were all seated at the round table. With them were King Arthur, Donald and Goofy.

"What's up your majesty?" Sora asked.

"The Kingdom Stone." Mickey said. The entire table fell silent.

"I thought you destroyed that." Merlin said sharply.

"I didn't. After Kaia, Rika and I recovered it, I thought it could be used for good. So I kept it hidden, but on the last raid on the castle, Maleficent broke in and stole it. No one but me knew about it."

"Wait wait wait hold up!" Sora said, putting his hands up in the universal signal for stop.

"You, Rika and Blythe recovered the Kingdom Stone?" Mickey turned to Blythe and Rika.

"You didn't tell them?" Rika shrugged.

"Must have slipped our minds." Mickey turned to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"A couple years ago, while you three were frozen, I received a tip that there was an ancient power source hidden in Ansem's castle. Curious I went to investigate."

"And by some coincidence, we happened to bump into the same hoard of heartless at the same time." Blythe added.

"So we fought them together and discovered that we were after the same thing. I asked if I could tag along."

"We agreed, because he had shown some pretty nice moves."

"The keyblade is an awesome weapon." Sora boasted.

"Well…we didn't know he used a keyblade." Rika quipped glaring at Mickey. The King shrugged innocently.

"So, we found the object we were looking for, and I named it the Kingdom Stone. Kaia and Rika wanted it, but I said it was better off being destroyed. They agreed. But, I couldn't bring myself to destroy it. I was foolish to think I could resist its spell." Mickey finished.

"So, Blythe and Rika HELPED you retrieve the stone?" Sora asked. Mickey, Blythe and Rika nodded.

"Therefore… basically the most powerful thing in the universe is in the hands of a crazy lady because ol' King Cole here couldn't bring himself to destroy it." Rika said, putting her feet up on the table.

"Why come to Camelot?" Blythe asked. "No offense your majesty." Everyone knew she was talking to Arthur. Rika and Blythe rarely called Mickey by his title.

"None taken."

"Because the stone in the pommel of Excalibur is a piece of the the Kingdom Stone, which gives it its power." Mickey answered. Everyone gasped, and immediately looked at Arthur then at the handle of Excalibur. The stone embedded at the end of the handle was painfully obvious now.

"So…Arty's sword here contains some of the Kingdom Stone and no one knew that?" Rika said.

"Yes." Mickey said.

"Can that be used to revive Agrabah?" Sora asked.

"Not a piece that small." Mickey answered.

"So, why are we here then?"

"I hope that maybe Excalibur can help us locate the Kingdom Stone."

"How?" Blythe asked. Mickey opened his mouth to answer, but Sora interrupted.

"So….Basically…wherever the Kingdom Stone is…Maleficent is." Sora stated. Mickey nodded.

"With the FULL Kingdom Stone, we can restore Agrabah and Tarzan's world."

"Are you sure not Destiny Islands?" Blythe asked quietly. Everyone looked at her. It was usually Sora that asked this question.

"No Kaia. I don't think we can. You see, Riku and I have inspected Agrabah and Tarzan's world. Like I said, their keyhole is still intact. But, Destiny Island's keyhole is destroyed. Usually, if a keyhole is still function, it leaves some sort of residue. But, we can't trace any of it. And believe me, we tried Kaia."

"But, Destiny Islands completely disappeared before!" Sora protested. Mickey shook his head.

"I could still sense the key hole's residue before though Sora. I can't now."

"How about the people?" Blythe asked.

"I'm sorry Kaia. The only survivors of Destiny Islands are Riku, Sora, Kairi and now you I guess." Blythe put her head in her hands, revealing that one of her ruined sleeves of her black long sleeved shirt. For the first time Sora caught sight of a blue tattoo that resembled an obscure version of some type of runes decorating her naturally tanned skin. He opened his mouth to ask, but then thought better of it.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Arthur whispered softly. Blythe gave him a tiny smile.

"Alrighty people, what's our plan of action?" Rika demanded. Mickey smiled and turned to Arthur.

"Do you mind if I see your sword your majesty?" Mickey asked. Arthur nodded, and unsheathed his sword. Rika sucked in a breath, causing Blythe to grin. Rika was a sucker for amazing swords. Mickey took a small scalpel- like object and tapped gently on the jewel embedded in the pommel of the sword, causing a small bit of dust to fall into his open palm. He put it in a small, box looking object with mouse ears. This caused Rika to snicker. Mickey then carefully handed the sword back to Arthur, who carefully sheathed it. Mickey held up the mouse eared box.

"This is your tracker!" He announced. And to everyone's great surprise, the box let out a small squeak.

"Stupid Disney Hocus Pocus." Rika muttered.

****


	11. Welcome to the Freakhouse!

"That's....how do we work it?" Sora was serious, however with such a bland and straight forward question the rest were dumbfounded for a second.

"Well why don't you hold it Sora? I'm sure you'll figure it out." King Mickey hopped over to Sora and happily placed it in Sora's hands.

"Wait you mean you don't know how it works?" Blythe asked, quite shocked. She couldn't believe not even the King knew. Blythe looked over at Rika, however she wasn't there.

"Nope. But Sora should know." Sora looked back at Mickey with an insecure face, not quite sure how to break it to King Mickey that he still had no idea how to work it. Even after holding it.

"Gawsh, where do you suppose Rika and Blythe wandered off to?" Goofy was looking left and right not seeing Rika or Blythe anywhere.

"Too bad this thing couldn't find them." Sora said with a sigh. The Kingdom Stone started to shine with all its might.

"It's working!" Donald said happily.

"You idiot, that's because the light is shining on it." Rika had walked into the room with Blythe behind her. The door which was opened behind them let in a small shining light, which reflected right off the kingdom stone.

"I knew that!" Donald argued back, red, hot with temper. Sora too had turned slightly red from the embarrassment of letting him get his hopes up too.

"Where did you go off to?" Riku asked Rika and Blythe smoothly.

"I went to get Rika." Blythe said plainly, with an expression that clearly said 'don'+-t you know she lies to wander off randomly by herself by now?' Blythe went to sit down as she pointed at the Kingdom Stone sparkling on the hilt of King Arthur's sword. "That's what we don't know how to work." Blythe said. Rika walked over to it and snatched it away from Sora.

"H-hey that was supposed to be mine! Give it back!" He demanded, like a child who had their toy stolen from them.

"Hold your horses. You better be grateful for this!" Rika said, dumping the box free of its Kingdom Stone dust.

"Rika!!" Donald, Goofy and Sora yelled at her.

"What? There's always more than one way to go around doing things! Even if there was one way to do it, there could always be another way! Besides, do you realize how DANGEROUS it is for us to carry around even a few FRAGMENTS of the Kingdom Stone?!" Now everyone was confused, did Rika think they should all look for Maleficent a different way then through the Kingdom Stone?

"Now what are we going to do?" Sora complained. "Rika!" Blythe put a hand on Rika's shoulder.

"Rik… we have to use the stone." Rika's shoulders slumped in defeat. Blythe walked over to where the fragments of the small part of the Kingdom Stone lay sparkling in the sun. Sora couldn't help but think, if a few pieces were so inhumanly beautiful, how beautiful would the entire stone be? Taking a deep breath, Blythe twisted her fingers over the pile, causing the sparkling pile to float in her hands.

"Whoa! How'd you do that?" Sora demanded.

"The Stone's magical Sora. Everyone can do it." Blythe said, rolling her eyes. She put the dust on the table.

"Your choice Rika," She said, gesturing to the small pile of white dust on the table. Rika bent down and swept the stone back into the box. She turned to Blythe, a questioning look in her eyes.

"It won't control you Rika. It has been in the possession of King Arthur. You won't be tempted by its power this time." Blythe said softly, a comprehensive silence falling over the room. Rika nodded, before trying her theory out.

"It's like a figure eight ball thingy~" Rika chanted as she shook the box.

"It looks nothing like those things." Sora complained. All of a sudden the box shook slightly and what looked like a digitally modified map had appeared on top of the box. The world was set up in 2D and was out lined with a dark green background with bright yellow lines creating a grid. Blue sparkles of light floated all around the world and manifested around one area which had a blob of bright green surround a four by four area of that grid.

"The blue is our device, and that green area must be where the Kingdom Stone is?" Blythe thought out loud.

"I wish this thing came with a legend of some sort." Rika complained. Sora nodded in agreement.

"So I suppose...we're going to a dark and dangerous place?" Goofy asked. Rika, Blythe and Sora all shrugged, then nodded together.

"Why always the dark and dangerous places." Donald whined. Everyone laughed at his remark and looked back at The King, Mickey, Riku and Merlin.

"I suppose it's time to say goodbye again." Merlin said as he waved goodbye.

"Let's go." Rika said as she continued out the door without saying any proper farewells.

"Thank you for all your hospitality." Blythe said as she bowed slightly and ran after Rika.

"Are you coming your Highness?" Sora asked.

"King Arthur won't because he's KING." Blythe called after Sora, King Arthur had a job to do.

"King Micks won't because he won't. Now come on!" Rika had no explanation for King Mickey not coming however Mickey nodded at the remark.

"Sorry guys, it's nice to catch up with you again but we have to keep going." Mickey said while frowning. Riku stood beside the king.

"It's alright we understand." Sora said to Mickey, trying to make him not feel guilty for leaving them.

"Don't get beaten up too badly Sora." Riku called after Sora teasing him, as he already had turned to leave.

"W-what?! Y-you're the one to talk!" Sora said, while being quite flustered.

"As good as always with your come backs." Riku mocked as Blythe had returned and pushed Donald, Goofy and Sora out the door.

"Kaia!" Blythe turned to see the mouse standing less then a foot away from her. "Take care of yourself."

"Why do you care so much?" Blythe asked, honestly curious. Since she had discovered her identity, Mickey had been nothing but concerned for her.

"Call it a promise to Terra." He said. Smiling, Blythe turned to catch up, then pass her friends.

"Come on!" She said happily leaving the rest behind with a wave.

"How did Rika know the King wouldn't come?" Sora said in amazement, catching up to her.

"It was pretty obvious wasn't it?" Blythe responded blankly.

"Yeah...well still..." Sora said to himself as Blythe continued to push the slow moving group forward.

****

"And where did you two go back there?" Donald asked angrily.

"I went to release the liquid. It seems like SOME people forgot one reason why we were heading to every planet." Rika reflected the anger and guilt, he slowly walked behind the group mumbling, "Stupid Rika...doesn't even.......ignorant.......unreal....sloppy..." Donald stopped in his tracks and shuddered.

"What is it?" Sora said as he turned around softly, looking at his friend's face turn blue.

"Awahwahwahwahwah!" Donald was repeating this in a state of shock as they all saw Rika beside him standing there innocently.

"Rika what did you do?" Sora asked with a sigh. It was always some trouble she was causing.

"Nothing." Rika lied.

"She snuck up behind Donald and whispered a threatening line in his ear." Blythe guessed, however she knew Rika well enough to have gotten that right, and did.

"We never saw her go back. She was in front of us then disappeared." Goofy stated the obvious, however Sora nodded thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, how did you do that?" Rika smiled a sneaky smile, than wind like before swirled around her until her whole body disappeared with the wind. Faster than they could even blink, she was beside Blythe again as the two laughed at Sora, Donald's and Goofy's expression and simple slowness of realizing so late as to where Rika was.

"You guys be careful, this forest isn't one to be tampered with!" Blythe warned them all, wondering what gave Goofy and Donald the idea to land the Gummi Ship in the nearby dark forest instead of the courtyard.

"Pshhh~ It's fine~" Rika teased.

"I agree~" Sora and Rika high-fived. Blythe rolled her eyes.

"AAAH!" Rika yelled as she tripped on a vine. Blythe slapped her forehead in disbelief.

"Rika, we're supposed to be role models in this group! We're tougher and smarter than them so act like it!" Blythe lectured Rika strongly.

"Hey!" Sora and Donald protested.

"Well, you can't say she's not right in the smart part of this." Goofy laughed to himself as Donald and Sora helplessly looked at Goofy. Sora started to think to himself -and he's not worried about that?-

****

The Horned King's black robes flowed around him as he walked through the halls of Maleficent's castle. Pushing open the large iron doors that led to the dining hall, the Horned King immediately caught sight of Maleficent sitting at the head, and Pete right beside her. Its other occupants included Jafar, Ursula, Captain Hook, Oogie Boogie, Lady Tremaine and the Queen. Half of them had returned to life because of the Kingdom Stone. The Horned King cleared his throat. Everyone's eyes flashed towards him and widened in fear. He felt a smug smirk cross his face.

"Master Chernabog wants a status report." Maleficent cleared her throat.

"Nothing as changed." She answered her voice hard.

"I'm afraid the master will want more details." The Horned King mocked, purposely

flexing his new bands of muscle.

"Tell your MASTER I can handle it." Maleficent snapped, causing the other occupants of the table of laugh. The Horned King managed to smooth his face with a polite smile.

"Of course, your highness." He said, gracefully exiting the room, not trying to prevent the angry sneer that crossed his face.

***  
A few minutes later, the Horned King entered Chernabog's cave.

"I'm here Master." He called. A deep rumble filled the cave and two gigantic red lamp- like eyes.

"You're late." He growled. The Horned King barely refrained himself from smirking. A few weeks ago, the mere sound of Chernabog's voice would have scared him.

"My apologies Master. But, it is as you predicted. Maleficent has no new details. She's only used the Kingdom Stone to bring back her old group. I think she's over her head. Now, if you let me and my army take on a world…"

"No." Chernabog said harshly. "We must use the Kingdom Stone. It's the only thing that can destroy the keyholes. Your destruction of Agrabah and the Jungle was impressive, but it was only superficial. We must destroy the worlds from the inside out."

"The only world she has actually used the Kingdom Stone on is Destiny Islands." The Horned King protested.

"Enough! Your army must be ready. The final battle is coming. And I want your entire army in it. I can't fight in it until Maleficent finishes making her plan." The Horned King nodded and bowed stiffly.

"Yes Master. They will be ready." He said, before putting his hood up and walked out of the cave into the daylight.

"How is your part of the plan coming?" Chernabog hollered at his back. The Horned King turned.

"We will infiltrate in five days." He replied. "We will not fail."

***  
The box beeped, squeaked and flew around in a circle around Donald's head. Everyone in the Gummi ship laughed.

"I think it likes you Donald." Blythe chuckled.

"It's pretty cute actually." Sora commented. The mouse-eared box squeaked again.

"It's almost like it's alive." Rika commented.

"Hey…you know what….? I think we should name it." Blythe declared.

"Gawrsh Blythe that's a great idea!" Goofy said, putting the ship on autopilot so he could turn around and join the conversation.

"How about Mousie?" Donald asked.

"It works!" Sora said happily. Everyone laughed and agreed.

"Welcome to the freak house Mousie." Rika said, holding her hand up for the box. The small mouse eared box squealed and settled into her palm.

***

"Where to now?" Blythe asked, settling back in her seat, her eyes absently watching Mousie zoom excitedly around the Gummi Ship. Sora shrugged.

"Wherever the map says."

"That's north right?" Rika demanded. Sora shook his head unhappily.

"I don't know."

"Gawrsh Sora, didn't we say that we were going to go to visit Beast or Adam and Belle at the beginning?" Everyone's heads perked up at the mention of a visit. They had been flying for hours. Blythe, Sora, Donald and Goofy were scratched up and bruised from their fight with Madame Mim (whom Donald and Goofy had successfully returned back to prison) and they all were tired. The accommodations in the Gummi Ship weren't exactly four star.

"I think a visit would be nice…a chance to rest up and take care of that nasty cut on Blythe's arm. And study the map some more." Sora said, noting the bandages that had been wrapped around Blythe's entire arm.

"It's a burn." Rika corrected. "And I didn't have anything to treat it with! We should land somewhere so I can patch Blythe up." Goofy nodded, and smoothly turned the Gummi Ship in the direction of Beast's Castle.

***  
Once again, the group was humbled by the green fields and creamy white castle that occupied Belle and Beast's world.

"I hope we get to land there this time." Rika joked. The mention of landing reminded Sora of something.

"Whatever happened to your plan with the underworld? In the Coliseum?" He asked Rika. Rika waved her hand.

"That will come when Mousie's map says so. Right now, we need to rest and re-group again. We know where we're going now…kinda. As soon as we learn to work Mousie that is." She said, jabbing a thumb towards the little boxed shape creature, who was squealing as Donald tried to catch it.

"Mousie! Come on!" He snapped, his feathers turning slightly red. Mousie tweeted and landed on his hat.

"That's adorable!" Blythe gushed, reaching one finger out to stroke Mousie. She locked eyes with Rika, knowing the same thoughts were going through her mind. They missed their dragons.

***  
Once again, Goofy landed the Gummi Ship without a hitch. The five friends disembarked and promptly collapsed in the grass.

"Grass…Land…oh how I've missed you so!" Rika said dramatically. Sora laughed.

"You don't even have any grass on Arrow."

"I'll install some as soon as we get home." Rika announced, earning a nod from Blythe.

"It would be nice to have something other then technology on Arrow." She said thoughtfully. Sora stood up and stretched, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Well…we should get going. I mean, we don't have a lot of time to waste." His four companions sprang up while Mousie tweeted out a charge tune. They started to walk the mile towards the castle.

"How's your arm Blythe?" Sora asked.

"It's fine." Blythe answered.

"I like your tattoos." He commented. "What do they mean?"

"Oh these?" Blythe stretched out her good arm to inspect the light blue designs on her arm. "I've had these for as long as I can remember. I think my parents did them."

"Do you remember anything about your parents?" Sora asked quietly.

"No. I can only remember being raised by my aunt and uncle. But, if I sit down and think REALLY hard, I remember their faces. I had a picture of them, but I left it on Destiny Islands before I went…awol…"

"My parents died when Destiny Islands was destroyed too." Sora said, feeling his own grief expand at the thought of them.

"You still have a family Sora." Blythe said softly. "You have Riku and Kairi as well as Donald and Goofy. My family right now is with Rika. You see, just because we lose our parental figures, doesn't mean we lose our family." Sora smiled.

"I know." He answered, as their shoes started to make clacking noises on the marble of the palace courtyard.

"Sora? Donald? Goofy?" A light voice rang out. Sora snapped his head up, seeing a brunette girl wearing a mint green dress waving to them from a balcony.

"Belle!" He, Goofy and Donald exclaimed happily.

"It is you! One second, I'll be right down!" Belle said, turning to rush inside. As soon as she disappeared from view, Rika asked,

"Who's she?"

"Belle. She lives in the castle with Be- I mean, Adam."

"Isn't he the guy who turned into a Beast?" Rika asked.

"Uh…yeah."

"So he's human now?"

"Pretty sure."

"Dang it." Rika turned to Blythe. "We missed it." Blythe sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically, earning a punch from Rika on her good arm. Blythe opened her mouth to make a snarky comment back, but Belle had just opened the huge golden doors to the castle and was running at them, with her arms wide out. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mousie ran towards her too, meeting in the middle in a friendly embrace.

"I miss you guys!" Belle exclaimed, laughing. "Who's this little guy?" Mousie was buzzing around her head, seemingly demanding attention.

"Mousie. He's supposed to help us find Maleficent." Belle's eyes darkened.

"She's back?"

"Yeah. Do you remember Jasmine?" Belle nodded her head slowly.

"I think so…long black hair and blue clothes? Big gold earrings?" Donald and Goofy nodded empathically.

"Her world, Agrabah, was destroyed. She and all its other habitants are missing." Sora didn't mention they were presumed dead. Belle covered her mouth with both hands.

"That's horrible!" She cried. "Jasmine was so kind! Is that why you're here? Is Maleficent coming?"

"I don't know." Sora shrugged. "We came here to warn you and to rest up a bit- it's been a trying couple weeks." Belle nodded quickly.

"Well of course we'll provide you with rooms! Come now, quickly! And bring your other friends behind you too! I'll go ask Mrs. Potts to put on some tea!" Belle gestured them to follow them and held the doors open for them as they filed inside the castle.

***

"Hang on…this may sting a little." Rika warned, holding a hot damp towel up. Blythe nodded and held out her arm, wincing a little while Rika dabbed at the burns. It had been awhile since she had to heal the long way.

"Rika, what happened in Atlantica?" Blythe asked quietly. Rika's hand faltered slightly before continuing to clean Blythe's burn.

"Nothing Blythe."

"Rika, please. Something's going on with you. We're supposed to have each others back all the time, protecting each other from dangers! How am I supposed to do that when I don't know what I'm up against? And don't say this is something you have to do alone. You know I'm your equal Rika. Tell me what's going on!" Blythe said, fixing Rika with the stare of her teal blue eyes. Rika was quiet for a long time before she opened her mouth to speak.


	12. Rika's Revelations

***

"I know Blythe, I know I'm being unfair!" Rika started an outburst. A spec of feelings which she hadn't experienced in ages was showing through her words.  
"What happened to you back then?" Blythe asked. She leaned forward and stared worriedly at her dear friend.  
"Blythe, we've been ruling a world for how long now?" Rika looked at Blythe, with even, controlled eyes compared to a couple seconds before. She had sorted out a part of her confusion, and realized what needed to be said.  
"I dunno, a long time I suppose. Since you found me I guess." Rika sighed.  
"All this time, we were creating things, creating a world for aliens, beings from places which we weren't connected to. You had your past which you weren't facing, as I was ignoring mine. However we did it for two different reasons. You couldn't remember yours, it was frightening and sad. Mine is not something traumatizing! It's not something I should be afraid of or something to care about! It's the past! I don't need it, I don't want it and I will never go back!" Blythe finally understood something from Rika's powerful, almost heartfelt words. The reason their home was filled with cold, metallic, un-colourful, and no feelings. That's because Rika had left her feelings behind while Blythe had simply ignored, and ran away from her own.  
"That's not right Rika." Blythe understood what Rika was saying, however she knew there was more than that.  
"We understood there were things troubling us. We looked out for each other, for even the aliens. We were friends because we still had the capability to care, we knew right from wrong. At most because we understood each other so well we lost the ability to voice our emotions, however you know you can talk to me!" Blythe started to lose track of what she was saying but they both understood the fatal point of the message.  
"I know, we even have our dragons who we love. I guess we make better friends with beings who really on instinct." Rika smiled sadly.  
"Yeah, we don't need to say much, they can sense most things and understand things without being said." Blythe agreed, trying to ease Rika with casual conversation. Blythe knew Rika was trying to avoid her real point in the conversation.  
"Alright Blythe, I'll tell you something." Rika sighed knowing she couldn't run away from telling Blythe about her past. She no longer felt like she needed to run from telling her anymore.  
"I won't tell you everything, but enough to subside you for now." Rika teased. Blythe jokingly shoved Rika slightly.

****

"Mom, if I told you there were other worlds would you believe me?" A little girl would wonder up to her mother every Sunday morning, crawl onto her parent's bed at sunrise and ask the same question.  
"There are no other worlds out there Rika!" That one particular morning her mother snapped. "Listen darling, listen closely. I told you already, you must NOT believe in other worlds, your father does not TRAVEL to other worlds. He's a business man and travels to various countries. Don't mix those up with worlds." Rika looked up at her mother carefully studying her.  
"Like I always tell you mama, it's your reaction that makes me think that there are other worlds, today especially. You're hiding something from me!" Rika looked up at her mom with cringed up eyebrows and frowning slightly.  
"I'm sorry baby," Rika's mother hugged her tenderly and stroked her short curly hair. The room was white and sunny, filled with the scent of flowers and fresh grass. It always seemed to be sunny there; Rika felt she could never grow tired of that atmosphere.  
"Rika! Look at this Frisbee I got today! It's got fire painted on it and everything!" A little boy with spiky red hair and turquoise eyes ran up to Rika.  
"Cool!" The small Rika replied as she turned around with a bright, alluring smile on her face. The boy smiled back at her, relieved she wasn't upset as she usually was on Sundays after her little discussion with her mother.  
"How did you get in here?" Rika's mother asked.  
"Rika left the window open in her room." The little boy replied as he ran out the door. "Meet you outside Rika!" Rika's mother stared at her. Rika knew what her mother was going to say.  
"You're absolutely not going outside today." Rika stared back at her mother harshly. She then sighed.  
"Mother, I love more then anything in the world. You may think I'm being selfish, ignorant or unconiderate." Her mother smiled. "Inconsiderate." She replied, fixing her daughters error.  
"Yeah, that. However I know you know, going out at least once a week is all I've got since that's the only time my friends are available. I get home-schooled and you won't let me outside our land. I'm trapped, and I know you do it to protect me, but I'm sorry. I don't imagine it's anything to serious or else you would tell me right, or even stop me right?" Rika's mom smiled and nodded while replying, "Naturally." Rika ran up to her mom and kissed her on the cheek. She then ran outside to meet up with her friends.

****

"Ah!" Rika fell backwards with a Frisbee face planted across her forehead.  
"I told you to watch out!" The little boy ran up to Rika.  
"Now have you got it memorized?" The little boy remarked sarcastically. A shadow spread across the two of them, interrupting their game of Frisbee. Their eyes were wide and in shock. A big muscular man lured overtop of them. His face was disoriented and he was dressed in black.  
"What are your names little ones?" The man said in a deep voice, trying to act friendly however scared the two children nevertheless.  
"What's it to you?" Axel responded haughtily. The man seemed to be getting angrier and scarier looking by the second to Rika at least. She stepped in front of the little boy.  
"I'm Rika. I'm not supposed to talk with strangers so if you'd excuse me." Rika waked past them and however he stopped her easily with just one hand on her shoulder.  
"And your friends name?" Rika looked back seeing her friend wiggling in the giant man's grasp.  
"He's not my friend!" Rika yelled. "I just met him now and decided to play Frisbee with him!" She wanted so badly to tell the man to let him go, however that would make it suspicious sounding, at least she thought so.  
"It makes no difference. I just have one question to ask." The man bent down looking at the children and holding their wrists, checking the pulse.  
"Do you believe in other worlds?" He grinned. "Thanks for your co-operation. You've been accepted. As for you," the man looked at the little boy. "We can find someplace for you." The man grabbed the children by the neck until both were unconscious. They found themselves in a new world that was filled with a rotten land and poor scrawny looking people chained together walking through the fields.

****

"What kind of story is this?" Blythe pondered. It sounded like a detention camp of some sort.  
"I was put into one of their research facilities. My friend was put somewhere else." Blythe's eyes widened.  
"You were a guinea pig?!" She was astounded.  
"Of course not, I was brilliant and strong. I was perfect no matter where they needed me. Once I grew up I was once working on spaceship. I modified it a bit and escaped. The first place I found was arrow and started from there." Blythe looked at Rika. She was satisfied enough.  
"I know there are gaps in that story which you're not filling in. However as you said before, for now this will do." Blythe got up from her seat looking at her wound in awe. IT was fascinating to see herself actually have a wound inflicted and not be able to get rid of it right away.  
"Maybe next time I'll even tell you how I found you, and decided to rescue you." Rika replied as she stared back at Blythe with scheming eyes and then walked off to find the rest. Blythe sat a little longer thinking everything over. She didn't get a very concrete answer to all the information from the lack of a concrete story however she decided to stop thinking about it, get up and go join the rest too.


	13. Dinner

After her arm had been cleaned and bandaged, Blythe lay across the bed in her room, mulling over what Rika had told her. It didn't make any sense to her, but Rika had revealed SOMETHING. And that was progress. Sitting up, Blythe twirled a strand of her white hair on her finger, wondering, not for the first time, why her hair was the colour of an old person.

"Blythe? Dinner!" Rika called. Blythe rose from her sitting position, grimacing at the fact that Belle only had dresses to wear. She smoothed her blue cotton dress and pushed the doors open, to see Sora, Donald and Goofy dressed in poufy shirts and a grumpy Rika wearing an autumn orange cotton dress.

"Blythe's wearin a dress!" Sora taunted. Blythe forced a smile, knowing that she couldn't chase after Sora wearing a dress. But, Mrs. Potts had promised to make them new clothes and Prince Adam said that he would see if a message could be delivered to Radiant Gardens for some new ones for Sora. The group walked down towards the stairs, laughing and mocking each other, until they turned down the stairs.

"AH! MES AMIS!" The servant named Lumière said, holding out his arm for Blythe as she descended the stairs a few steps behind everyone else. Cogsworth had attempted to escort Rika, but Rika had snubbed him rather rudely.

"May I ask you name, beautiful girl?" Lumière asked flirtatiously.

"Blythe." Blythe replied, smiling, stashing her 'other' name away.

"Such a beautiful name! I think it means free spirit, no?"

"Something along those lines," Blythe said, laughing. Lumière laughed too, seating her down in her chair before pressing a kiss on her hands.

"It was a pleasure to meet to cherie." He said. Blythe turned a deep red, but attempting to join in the argument that always seemed to happen between Sora and Rika.

****

After conversing for a few minutes, the huge oak doors that seemed to populate every room of the castle opened, and Belle entered, wearing a light pink dress decorated with a pink ribbon in her hair. She was on the arm of a broad shouldered man with flaxen gold hair and shocking blue eyes. He was wearing a white poufy shirt matched with navy blue knee length pants.

"Everyone, this is my husband Adam, or was Beast."

"You can still call me that if you want." Adam joked, causing Sora's, Goofy's and Donald's jaw to drop open. The Beast they had known had never ever cracked a joke when they knew him. They knew him to be darker, more brooding. Noticing their shocked expressions, Adam said, "Humanity plus Belle has really lightened me up."

"We noticed." Sora said, laughing nervously. Adam took a seat next to him, followed by Belle.

"So, what's new?" Adam asked, as their meal was served.

"Another day, another mission." Sora said with his mouth full.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friends?" Adam asked. Sora swallowed his food.

"This is Blythe and Rika." Sora said, gesturing to the two girls. The two girls nodded their greeting.

"Pleasure." Adam said. "So, what's the mission on about this time?"

"The Kingdom Stone." Donald said. Belle's eyebrows rose.

"What's the Kingdom Stone?"

"It's an ancient power source." Blythe answered. "Extremely powerful."

"Mickster was supposed to destroy it. Didn't happen." Rika chimed in.

"Now Maleficent has it." Sora finished.

"Which is real bad." Goofy added. Adam and Belle glanced at each other.

"So, she's coming here then." Adam said slowly, his brow furrowing in anger.

"We don't know. Agrabah and the Deep Jungle have been destroyed. Along with Destiny Islands." Sora said.

"In other words, she's un predictable…again." Adam growled, his grip tightening on his fork.

"Yeah." Sora replied, glancing at his friends. Rika and Donald were having an eating contest, Goofy was chatting amicably with Belle, but Blythe was picking at her food.

"Are you okay Blythe?" Blythe's head shot up.

"Um yeah. Just not too hungry. I'm actually really tired, do you mind if I head up?" Sora and Adam shook their heads no, and Blythe thanked them for the meal before hurrying up the stairs.

"Is she alright?" Adam asked Sora. Sora shrugged.

"She was injured during a fight- she's probably tired."

"So Rika." Adam said, directing his question at her. "Whereabouts are you from?"

"Arrow." Rika replied, stopping her eating contest with Donald.

"Is Blythe from Arrow too?"

"Yeah." Rika replied. Sora opened his mouth to say where Blythe was really from, but Rika shot him a deathly glare that caused Sora to snap his mouth shut.

"You two are friends?"

"Yeah. Have been for a long time now. You were a beast once right?" Sora, Donald and Goofy choked on their drinks. But Adam grinned humorously.

"Yeah, I was. But, the spell was broken now, so it's all good." Sora breathed a sigh of relief. Again, it was a blessing that Adam wasn't the Beast anymore.

****

They continued to eat happily however Rika couldn't help but feel uninterested in the conversations. She kept looking at the door deciding whether or not to go after Blythe. Blythe had started a bit too often as of lately, gone off in a deep blue funk.  
"You can go if you want to dearie." Potts was beside her whispering in her ear as she poured some tea for Rika.  
"Yeas. I'm aware of that thank you." Rika grabbed her tea cup and took a sip.  
"Why don't you go after your friend? You should be there for her." She was looking at Rika intently, not sure why Rika had such a nasty attitude even towards her own friend.  
"I KNOW." Rika replied strongly. Ms. Pott's eyes widened a bit from Rika's response. Unsure of what to say next.  
"Listen, I'm sorry but I don't have a choice but to sit here with everyone else. Trust me, the first thing I'll do at night is go talk to Blythe." Ms. Pott's eyes squinted as if she was trying to read Rika.  
"So you're supervising everyone here to make sure nothing is said which shouldn't be. Well alright, I suppose it's not my place to say. Call me if you need anything child." Ms. Pott's patted Rika's head as if she was a child. Rika blushed a bit and smiled slightly. Sora hd seen it and had no idea how to react to see such a childish face on Rika.  
"What were you like as a child Rika?" Sora asked while shoving his empty plate infront of him. A maid quickly came and took away his plate. Everyone at the table looked up at Rika.  
"I was like any other child." Rika finished off her plate too and then handed it to a maid.  
"I really can't believe that. Can't you describe yourself any better?" Sora teased, however Rika looked up at him menacingly.  
"I was a stupid, immature child like any other." Rika got up and threw her handkerchief on the table.  
"Now if you'd excuse me." Rika got up and walked away with her dress fluttering about enchantingly.  
"Gawsh Sora, I think you've gone and upset her now." Goofy said sadly.  
"Bah, it was her fault." Donald countered; Sora on the other hand looked down and reflected on Rika's face.  
"She looked like her past was a happy thing before..." Sora muttered to himself.  
"Why don't you go talk to her and apologize?" Adam had said. Belle nodded.  
"That's what I was thinking just now too. Here's the key to her room. If she refuses to let you in to talk to her then just use it to get in." Belle handed Sora and elegant ember gemmed key.  
"It's ironic to hear something like tha from you b-umm Adam." Sora's face turned slightly red. He quickly got up and rushed to Rika's room.  
"Young ones these days." Adam spoke as though he had all the wisdom in the world.  
"Yes, isn't it nice?" Belle added in delight.

***

"Rika I'm really sorry. Can you let me in?" Sora asked. Rika didn't answer. So Sora pulled out the key.  
"I'm coming in right now." He unlocked the door and opened it slowly. Rika was lying on the ground, her long hair spread along the floor, her head resting on her arms and her dress so large it surrounded her.  
"Rika?" Sora whispered. He approached her and touched her arm. Quickly pulling away from the shock of how cold she was.  
"No way.." He said quietly, hardly able to talk. He collapsed on the floor next her with no energy left.  
"Hey Rika you left your door open. You know you can't do th- Sora?!" Blythe said surprised.  
"Rika..I think she's dead!" Sora said almost having a mental break down. He couldn't believe how healthy she was before and yet right then she was dead. Blythe walked over to the bed and pulled a blanket from it. She covered Rika with it and pulled Sora out of the room while locking the door.  
"She's not dead." Blythe replied.  
"But she's," Blythe pulled him into her own room and closed the door.  
"Shh!" She motioned with her hand for him to be quiet.  
"She's always been that way. You have to relax. It's just the way she is." Sora's eyes widened.  
"Zombie?!" He almost yelled.  
"No! Her pulse is just barely going that's all." Blythe replied softly.  
"why?" Blythe shook her head.  
"I dunno but maybe it's from something of her past." Blythe looked down sadly. The past. Something which she can't help but feel like ever since then something had changed in her. She was just always so sad.  
"Well what happened in her past?" Sora asked. Blythe sighed.  
"Fine. I'll tell you but then you have to keep this and everything else a secret." Blythe warned.  
"Deal." Sora said almost happily.


	14. Slipping

"AXEL?" Sora demanded, forgetting to keep his voice down. Although they had retreated to Blythe's room so Blythe could tell what she knew of Rika's past, Rika's room was right next to hers.  
"SH!" Blythe hissed, clapping a hand over his mouth. "You forgot that my best friend can massacre an entire planet."  
"Sorry." Sorry mumbled through her hand.  
"What do you mean by Axel though?" Blythe asked, pulling her colourless hair out of it's usually braid. It waved and fanned around her face.  
"I knew him. He was an evilish guy that was in Organization XIII!"  
"What?" Blythe demanded, stiffening.  
"He died protecting us during our last mission." Sora said softly. Blythe covered her mouth with her hand.  
"Don't you dare tell Rika." She hissed. Sora threw his hands up defensively.  
"I wasn't planning to!" He protested.  
"Good." Blythe stood up.  
"Blythe..."  
"What?"  
"Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, I think so."  
"You've been upset since you discovered your past." Blythe turned to Sora.  
"I'm just so confused. Blythe is slipping away and Kaia is replacing her. I don't WANT Kaia to replace her. Kaia was cowardly and weak. She depended on undependable people. I'm not the same person I was before my memories. It scares me, because I'm caught between two different people and I can't decide. If I choose Kaia, then I will lose Rika, but if I choose Blythe, I lose my knowledge of who makes me who I am."  
"Like Terra." Sora finished quietly.  
"And my parents." Blythe added. "I-I just want to know who they were. Their names. I can remember faces, but, the place I remember, it isn't Destiny Islands. My actual home could be out there Sora! I just...don't know where. That's what's been bugging me to no end."  
"Hey." Sora squeezed her shoulder. "We'll check with Tron after the mission." Blythe smiled.  
"Thanks Sora."  
"Blythe, you can still be Kaia and Blythe at the same time you know." Sora said encouragingly. Blythe shook her head.  
"I don't think I can be." She whispered, turning her eyes to the enormous window that lit her room.

****  
"Rika?" Blythe said softly, sitting beside her. Rika's head was in her knees still and she was extremely still. "It's Blythe."  
"I know you idiot." Rika said, muffled by her knees. Blythe slapped her on the side of her head playfully. Sora breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Is everything alright?" Blythe asked quietly. Rika popped her head up and grinned.  
"Yup. Did I miss dessert?" Sora and Blythe opened their mouths to condradicte Rika, but realized it was pointless to do so.  
"What happened?" Sora asked.  
"Just exhausted." Rika said, standing up and stretching, giving Blythe 'I'm going to talk to you later' kind of look.

****

A couple hours later, Sora lay awake in bed, staring at the full moon outside. He couldn't stop thinking about the mission. How would they suceed? They hadn't even gotten to studying the map at-  
"MOUSIE!" Sora yelled, sitting up and bolting out the door. He pounded on Donald's room, then Goofy's. They both opened their doors looking extremely disgurntled.  
"Sora..." Donald began.  
"Guys, where's Mousie?" Sora demanded. Donald and Goofy froze, panic filling their faces. They looked at each other for two seconds before running down the hall screaming 'Mousie!!!'.

****

"So what is it Rika?" Blythe asked approaching Rika.  
"Sh." Rika replied quickly. "Come on. Apparently that mouse box is gone." Rika got up and both she and Blythe ran into the hallway not seeing or hearing anyone in sight.  
"Beast have you seen Mousie?!" The two girls twirled around seeing shadows of Adam and Sora.  
"No, why Sora?" Blythe and Rika ran over to Sora and Adam.  
"Where'd the box go?!" Sora yelled in a frustrated tone.  
"It probably found where the next attack on this world will be." Blythe said.  
"Not that we'll be able to stop it." Rika teased. Everyone looked at her with clearly upset faces.  
"Obviously not the right time to say that." Blythe whispered to Rika without losing eye contact with everyone else.  
"Whatever, it was a JOKE. Shouldn't we be looking for that box right now?" Sora turned away with Adam and Blythe following. Rika stood where she was and watched as they all walked away searching for the box.  
"Come on Rika!" Blythe yelled back at Rika.  
"Oh relax; I'll look for it on my own. You'll just slow me down anyways, especially with such a dense kid like Sora." Sora shot a nasty glare back at Rika. Rika chuckled oddly then turned around and entered the nearest room.  
"How can you stand that girl!?" Sora fumed.  
"Sora, control your anger!" Adam roared.  
"You're the one to talk. What happened to you anyways, how could you have changed so much?" Sora continued to stare at Adam filled with inspiration.  
"This has always been me. However when you're put in a dark situation you can lose yourself…at that time only someone special can pull you out of that darkness." Adam stared up brightly, you could tell he was thinking of his special person. Blythe looked down at her feet…-someone special- she thought. At first she thought of her best friend, Rika. However she knew Rika all to well. Rika was and had been keeping her from falling into the darkness which Adam was talking about. Both her and Rika knew she couldn't completely save Blythe from herself though, the only one who could save her would have to be.  
"Terra…is that your special person?" Sora asked. Blythe blushed.  
"N-no! Ew, no way he's just a childhood friend!" The group walked in silence for a while. "And Kairi is your special person?" Blythe asked looking at Sora, hoping he would make a fool of himself just as she embarrassed herself.  
"Yeah…that's my special person. I wonder when I'll see her again." Sora looked up at the shining lights, smiling childishly and thinking of all his timed with Kairi. Blythe looked at him in envy, how he could act so normal. She began to think of Terra, what was he to her in the past? She couldn't even remember him clearly. What were her parents like? Her home time? Could all those things make her right again? There were too many questions and she started to get a headache.  
"Where's the other girl?" Adam asked looking around.  
"She went looking for Mousie on her own." Sora replied, annoyed.  
"Why do you dislike her so much?" Adam said looking back at the now foul mood Sora.  
"It's not that I dislike her." He said stubbornly. "She's just so…"Sora stopped and thought for his choice of words. "I don't know, she's just always in her own thoughts doing what she wants, when she wants to. She's also so detached from everyone else. How could anyone possibly get along with a girl like that?!" Sora asked to himself mainly.  
"A-hem." Blythe said with her hands on her hips, staring at Sora.  
"Sorry…" Sora apologized, thinking of saying that Rika wouldn't have apologized and would have instead blamed it on them. He decided to lay off that thought.  
"She's not like that." Blythe said matter-of-factly. "You all don't know it, however every time she makes a rude comment she hurts most likely triple times worse than what you felt. She really always had tried to protect everyone she knows." Sora thought this over and couldn't possibly have thought that to be true.  
"Yeah…right. Probably she just does that for you or your dragons." Sora nodded to his own logic.  
"No, she does it for everyone. Whoever she thinks deserves it at least." Blythe continued looking around and calling every once in a while to Mousie.  
"How did she ever protect us?" Sora questioned, he would need proof for him to believe it. Blythe turned around and faced Sora.  
"There really isn't any evidence to show you, she does it in a…well her own way and it's always subtle!" Blythe stopped talking, with wide open eyes, yet again she realized something.  
"Rika?!" She ran back the way they were coming from and ran towards the room Rika had entered.  
"What is it Blythe?" Sora was panting as he ran after the speedy Blythe and Adam trailing behind them silently.  
"There's a barrier! I knew it! See this is her stupid way of protecting people! There must be something like a bomb in there! RIKA!" Blythe screamed and attempted to kick the door however an invisible reflected her foot back. A flash of the colours seen in a painted sunset washed over the inside of the barrier. Destroying everything there, all that was left behind when it subsided was Rika. She was sitting in the middle of the empty barrier holding a green box filled with lime green, vibrant symbols floating around Rika. She was smiling to herself as she wiped her face leaving a black oil smudge, smear across her face. It came from what looked like the box she was holding. She was all alone in that room however seemed to be showing the most serene smile she had ever showed.  
"Can you guys pretend you never saw her smile like that?" Blythe asked Sora and Adam.  
"Why? She actually looks like a proper person there." Sora remarked.  
"I know, but don't you think she doesn't show that side of her for a reason?" Blythe had always been scared of Rika's reaction to others knowing her true self. She didn't want Rika to change, she was afraid Rika would lose her inner self if it was exposed to the others. Sora looked at Blythe in the eyes and decided Blythe knew best.  
"Oh there's Rika!" Adam boomed, acting as if they had just gotten there.  
"Rika, what did you do to this room?" Rika disarmed the barrier and walked towards them.  
"Oh, I found this box and it started a countdown until it would explode. I managed to solve it in time so it just destroyed all inanimate objects." Rika smiled. Blythe sighed, Rika had left her explanation filled with holed. Blythe knew the truth. Rika must have known what was in that room and decided to make everyone leave, just in case it was something too dangerous. That was the kind of person Rika was Blythe thought.

"So I guess we didn't fin Mousie anywhere." Sora said.  
"Not true." Rika pulled Mousie out of her pocket, releasing it into the air.  
"MOUSIE!" Sora yelled happily, dancing around with the little mouse box.  
"That's what lead you to that room, wasn't it Rika?" Blythe had a feeling that was how Rika thought there was something dangerous in there.  
"Y-yeah. You always find this sort of stuff out." Rika scratched her head and then stopped abruptly. She pulled out the blue liquid from her other pocket and released the liquid. Like always a flash of light almost exploded from the bottle until little bits of white, sparkly lights floated around the room.  
"It looks like Maleficent is moving again." Blythe said to Rika.  
"We should move again. We can head back to the Radiant Gardens, since I know you want to." Rika looked at Blythe with knowledgeable eyes. Sora stared at the two of them, watching how they both understood each other so well. Donald and Goofy walked up to Sora, standing beside him. Blythe smiled at Rika.

"Rik, I have all the time in the world after the mission to find out the same things that I would during the mission. I want to wait." Rika nodded, a serene comprehension filling her face.  
"Man, they're so lucky. It's like they both can read each others mind. You think I'll ever find a friend like that?" Sora leaned back on one foot and raised his arms, with his fingers crossed together on the back of his head.  
"What do you mean by that?!" Donald asked furiously.  
"Gwarsh Sora, you already have me and Donald!" Goofy placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. Sora started to laugh.  
"Yeah, we're the three musketeers." They all laughed together, this time Blythe and Rika looking at them, however in an un-amused way.  
"If you EVER act like that I'm going to have to hit you." Rika said while watching them. Blythe started to laugh like everyone else.  
"Yeah, I know." After laughing they all headed back to the front gate of the castle.  
"Next time I'm going to venture out to the town." Rika warned.  
"Of course we'd be happy to have you a next time." Adam countered. Rika smiled dangerously. She would have picked a fight however instead Blythe started to push her towards the ship.  
"Nice to meet you." She waved good bye and then the two of them disappeared onto the ship.  
"When will you come next?" Belle asked sadly.  
"Soon, real soon." Sora said with a smile.  
"Yeah, and if anything happens we'll deal with it!" Donald raised a fist and flexed a scrawny arm muscle. Belle giggled while Adam laughed whole-heartedly.  
"I'm sure you will." Adam teased.  
"Tell us if anything happens to ya!" Goofy hollered to them as the three of them went on the ship as well. As the ship started to lift off the ground the three guys waved good bye to Belle and Adam, holding hands as the two of them waved back, shielding their eyes from the gust of wind.


	15. Truth

Blythe sat back in her chair, relieved to be clothed in regular pants and clothes again. She had given up the long sleeved shirts for a t-shirt. Sora had already seen her tattoos anyways. The five friends were talking amicably until the screen on the Gummi Ship beeped.  
"Incoming message!" Goofy said, pressing the green button. Kairi's face popped up on the screen.  
"Ooooo Sora!" Goofy and Donald said, whistling. Sora turned tomato red.  
"Oh so this is Kairi?" Blythe asked, nudging Rika, who was inspecting her finger nails, seemingly uninterested.  
"Hey guys! Hey Sora!" Kairi said, waving. "How are you?"  
"We're great Kairi!" Sora answered, waving back, smiling.  
"You must be Rika and Blythe!" Kairi said. "It's nice to meet you!"  
"Nice to meet you too." Blythe replied, realizing how perfect Kairi and Sora were for each other. They were both extremely enthusiastic people.  
"So how are you Kairi?" Sora asked. Kairi's beautiful face broke up into a smile after Sora spoke and started to talk quickly, re-telling the events that had occurred to her in the past week. Blythe learned a lot about their relationship just by watching them talk. They obviously needed each other in each other's life. If they didn't have each other, they would cease to exist as people. Blythe saw Sora in a whole new light. He was overall, an extremely happy person, but when talking with Kairi, his face became more then happy. Euphoric perhaps?  
"How is everyone?" The faces of Daisy, Minnie and Clarabelle appeared in the screen. Donald and Goofy stopped their snickering immediately.  
"Hi darlin'!" Goofy said brightly to Clarabelle. Clarabelle blew him a kiss, which made Goofy chuckle and blush.  
"Hey Daisy." Donald said, causing Daisy's feathers turn slightly pink with anger.  
"Donald!" She said, upset that Clarabelle had gotten an endearment and she hadn't.  
"Hi...dear." Donald said quickly, readjusting his words. Blythe and Rika shot each other looks. Were all ducks this temperamental?  
"Blythe! Rika! It's been a long time!" Minnie said sweetly.  
"Have you heard from Mickey yet?" Blythe asked. Minnie nodded.  
"He checks in everyday." She replied. Donald spluttered in anger.  
"And we can barely get a straight answer out of him!"  
"He knows that you are perfectly capable of finding your own way. Speaking of which, I think your mouse box has your next location locked." Everyone's eyes turned up to the ceiling. Mousie was buzzing around with agitation.  
"Mousie!" Sora yelped, standing up to snatch the box.  
"Mousie?" Minnie asked, humor evident in her voice. Sora shrugged, embarrassed. He shook Mousie like Rika had, and the 2D map popped up again. The light was blinking over a world.  
"The Coliseum?" Sora said, looking at Rika. Rika had a satisfied smirk on her face.  
"Excellent." She said, rising up. "Okay ladies, we have to go now, say your goodbyes lover-boys." Sora, Donald and Goofy chorused their goodbyes just before Rika switched off the screen and shifted the ship into hyper speed.

****

The Gummi ship touched down in a wide, earth spread arena, surrounded by beautiful columns.  
"Memories." Sora sighed, remembering the many tournaments they had entered and their achievement of heroes.  
"Sora? Donald? Goofy!"  
"Herc!" Sora shouted, waving at the heavily muscled man that was walking towards them. He was only walking because he had a young woman draped in a purple tunic with long, reddish brown hair styled into a tall ponytail. "Meg!"  
"Sora!" Meg called, waving. She released Hercules' arm and pulled Sora into a gentle hug. She had always had a soft spot for Sora, after he had rescued Hercules from Hades' stadium. Hercules clapped Sora roughly on the shoulder.  
"Ouch!" Sora winced. "It still hurts Herc."  
"Sorry." Hercules smirked. "I guess I don't know my own strength." Sora glared at him. Hercules perfectly well knew his strength.  
"How strong are you?" Rika asked curiously.  
"I'm a God." Hercules replied.  
"Like God God, like up in the clouds kind of God?" Rika demanded. Hercules nodded. "Sweet." She said. Sora whirled around to face Rika. She had never complimented anyone like that before.  
"Ri-"  
"Shut up Sora." Rika said lazily. "Can we go down to the Underworld now?" Hercules looked at them blankly.  
"Well obviously nothing's up here, or Herc would have beaten them to a pulp by now." Rika stated, with an 'obviously' expression on her face.  
"She has a point Sora." Goofy said. Sora nodded.  
"Mousie?"  
"Here." Donald said trying to grab the mouse- eared box that was flying around his head. Mousie was squealing joyfully as he played his one sided game with Donald.  
"Donald stop playing with Mousie." Rika said, grabbing Mousie from the air. She pocketed him and starting to walk down the nearby stairs. Sora and the rest of the group followed her to a dark, dreary, almost cave- like room.  
"Lovely." Blythe muttered, casting a dark look at a portly pink creature and a teal skinny one.  
"Pain and Panic." Sora whispered as they approached them.  
"We want to go into the underworld." Rika announced. They looked up at her.  
"Master Hades doesn't-" They stopped, fear filling their eyes.  
"She's doing the eye thing again." Blythe said softly to Sora. Sora shuddered at the memory.  
"But...we can make an exception for you of course!" Panic said quickly, tapping the door three times. The stone doors slowly opened. Rika entered, closely followed by the rest of them. Once inside, Rika glanced over the fog.  
"Rika...what's going on?" Blythe asked.  
"I had a dream. I needed to come here." Rika said so that only Blythe could hear. Blythe didn't reply, but slipped on her bow glove. Sora noticed.  
"That doesn't do anything." He said to her quietly. "The keyblade is the only useful weapon here." Blythe's face contorted, but didn't remove her glove. Rika led the way through the cold, eiry caves. Blythe shivered, glancing around her, trying not to pay too much attention to the floating white orbs.  
"Well well...look who's here." They all snapped their heads up, seeing a young man with long spiky red hair cascading down his back. "I didn't think I'd see you ever again Sora.." his voice drifting off when his eyes focused in on the other members of the group.  
"Rika?" He asked quietly. Rika was speechless, along with Sora, Donald and Goofy.  
"Axel?" Rika asked, her voice rough from utter shock. Blythe finally comprehended. Her eyes grew wide, meeting with Sora's. No one knew what to say.

****

"You…" Rika paused not sure of what to say to Axel.  
"You stupid, stupid boy!" Rika ran up to him and kicked him in the shin. What Sora, Donald and Goofy saw as painful, Axel and Blythe knew that was definitely not one of her stronger kicks.  
"Ouch! What did you do that for?" Axel asked almost sarcastically as he fell back on the ground and rubbed his leg.  
"I'll tell you what I told you before. I officially hate you! Got it memorized?" Rika taunted, sarcasm evident in her voice, yet Blythe could see the lines of utter grief in her face. Axel had died, after she had tried so save him.  
"What, now your going to mock me? Ouch, that really hurts!" Axel looked up with a painful expression however no one really knew if he was serious or not. Blythe knew he saw Rika's silent dilemma.  
"Wait, Axel you died!" Sora yelled over the group.  
"Ah crap Sora's a genius now! I guess I did. Got to go!" Axel said sarcastically as he got up brushed off his legs and ran off while quickly waving good bye. Sora was going to run after him however Rika tripped him in the process.  
"What was that for?! We should go after him!" Rika sighed at Sora's remark.  
"That's not our priority." Rika glared at Sora then started to walk a separate path from where Axel had run off to.  
"Rika, shouldn't you go after him?" Blythe whispered. It was her long lost friend after all.  
"Don't worry Blythe. When you find Terra, I know it'll be a great reunion with tears and laughter and you all will be happy. That's just simply not the way it goes for me that's all." Rika looked forward with a stone cold face.  
"You just saw your best friend and did nothing. Is that the way you want it to be?" Blythe was confused. "Maybe it's a good time to explain to me the rest of your past?" Rika looked back at Sora, Donald and Goofy. Sora was staring at her, trying to figure out what had just happened. Everyone seemed confused and in disarray.  
"Alright Blythe, call up Sora and the rest. You already told Sora which means the other two know." Blythe looked at her in shock, however quickly smiled after.  
"Of course you'd know that." Blythe said with a huge smile on her face. She was beginning to think that if Rika found her friend which she hadn't seen in ages then perhaps she'd meet her long lost friend too.  
"Can you guys come here for a second?" Rika called out to them.  
"What now?" Donald said in a rough way. He couldn't believe anyone that was connected to the old Organization 13.  
"Oh hush Donald. You can go away if you don't want to listen." Rika demanded.  
"What do you want Rika?" Sora asked like a child waiting to open a present. He was hoping it was a big, expensive present too.  
"You know half of my past, I will tell you my other half but you have to behave. Or else I won't tell you." Rika crossed her arms and snootily raised her nose in the air, opening one eye slightly to look at them and smiling slightly because she was teasing them.  
"Well gawrsh Rika, don't we always behave?" Everyone laughed at Goofy's remark. Rika quickly regained herself and stood waiting for the rest to stop laughing.  
"Now where did I leave off with my past?" Everyone looked at each other trying to remember what they already knew.  
"I think you and Axel were caught by some guy and taken away." Sora said as he was thinking of what he knew.  
"Well whatever you can hear repeats even if I don't continue where I was. So things happened and the last thing I saw was that man taking me away. I blacked out from some nock out gas. I hadn't actually realized Axel was taken with me until when I awoke we were both in some holding thing. It was a completely shut off with no light at all."  
"Well how did you know Axel was with you then?" Sora protested.  
"That's not behaving now is it? If you'd just listen you'd find out." Rika waited a bit to see if Sora or anyone else would protest. However they all stood silently, patiently waiting for Rika to continue.  
"Alright. So I couldn't see anything, I heard some explosions though, and I could feel the sway of the ship." Rika quickly glanced at Sora half expecting him to ask how she knew it was a ship, however he stayed quiet.  
"So how'd you know it was a ship?" Donald asked haughtily. Everyone looked at him with pitiful faces. Rika walked up to him and smiled evilly as she cracked her knuckles. She picked up Donald by the feet, walked over to a nearby edge and let go.  
"You stay down there until I say you can come back!" Rika yelled down. You could here a small quack in response, so Rika made her way back.  
"Anymore interruptions?" Everyone nodded their heads no. "Good, Axel didn't wake up at this point however once they opened the door and dragged me out I looked back and saw Axel being dragged out too. For me it was by the hair they forced me out, for him they grabbed his foot and dragged him, he was unconscious still and everything." Rika walked a couple steps to where Donald was. "AND THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED I WAS ON A SHIP." She yelled down to Donald. She then walked back to everyone who had their ears covered from her yelling. "At first Axel and I were by each other everyday in a jail cell type place. There were about ninety kids all together. I had heard there was one kid taken from every world. In our case there were two however that's only because Axel knew me despite my and his parent's orders." They all looked at Rika, Sora started to raise his hand. Rika nodded.  
"Why were they doing that?" Sora asked, he knew she would most likely explain at some point but he felt it would get confusing if he hadn't known right then.  
"Well, their world was a world of knowledge really. So sometimes they needed to test subjects to experiment on." Sora's eyes widened. Blythe ran off and dragged a stunned Donald back. She had told him on the way back to the group.  
"Oh relax, Axel and I had it easy. This world had connections to other worlds. Various worlds always have a few people who just simply knew there are other worlds out there. Naturally that would tilt the balance of the worlds. You know how you're always told not to expose that you're from another world and everything." Everyone nodded.  
"My father and mother knew there were other worlds, and they absolutely did NOT want me to find out. The world where I was a prisoner would torture the people who knew to keep them in line. Once I found out there were other worlds I was taken away."  
"Why weren't you just tortured with your family?" Everyone else would never have asked, however Blythe knew Rika well and they were both of the fairly rational sorts.  
"Since I was a child I was perfect to manipulate on their planet. Since Axel saw them, and they came from another world it was good enough to bring him too." Sora frowned from not knowing Axel's past.  
"Anyways, we were all given a drug everyday. Kids started turning into mindless people serving under that world one by one. Until it was only Axel and I left. Naturally we were the strongest out of the bunch." Rika said proudly though no one felt it was exactly the moment to show such arrogance.  
"Oh lighten up!" Rika announced to them. She sighed and continued even though they seemed to be going a bit depressed. "One day I noticed Axel too was starting to lose it. So I planned away to let him escape." Sora was itching to ask another question however Blythe stepped on his foot and whispered for him to be quiet.  
"It was a cliché escape however it worked nevertheless. Axel and I pretended to be fully drugged. They brought us out of the cell and the leader of this weird experiment was going to test us to see what we could do after being under their control. Once we were close to the exit I yelled to run for it." Sora and the rest leaned closer anticipating as to what came next.  
"They were going to stab Axel with a friggin sword! I would NOT let that happen. So I kicked that stupid guard in the head. Axel made it however after kicking the guard lets just say he wasn't too happy. They captured me…again, and I never heard nor saw Axel again. I on the other hand continued to take that drug but I guess it never really worked on me. Unfortunately that made them curious as to why it didn't work. No matter what they did all the different drugs they tried on me didn't work and they really had no idea why. They were just dumb. Nothing worked on me because my dad was smarter then all of them combined. I had been taking and making my own drugs for ages. I was immune to whatever nonsense they made. I believed in other worlds for ages, my father was a genius and taught me everything he knew, so I could easily back up why there were definitely other worlds. He knew they were going to come after me so they taught me fighting skills. I was pretty well prepared for my capture." Everyone thought to themselves and couldn't believe what kind of father Rika had. Sora was thinking of a wimpy, nerdy science geek dressed in a white lab coat with short brown hair and big round glasses.

"No he didn't look like a nerd." Rika shot a threatening glance at Sora.  
"Anyways, heartless attacked there a while ago. They destroyed just about everything until they made the mistake of setting me free. I fought back with a weapon I had just found." Blythe looked at Rika once she talked about the weapon. Blythe's eyes opened wide.  
"They were defeated, and so was the head of the science research. I took over that world with an iron fist." Rika looked up happily. "Then I widened my own technology, traveled the worlds on my own and came upon an interesting tale of someone who wielded a key blade yet was captured by Maleficent." Everyone looked at Blythe who waved at them.  
"I went and I saved her from Maleficent, intrigued as to what this key blade was. We became friends rather quite fast, I was separated from my parents and friend while she was too naturally we got along well. But she was so sad all of the time so I cancelled her memories until she was ready for them. I think we lived a pretty happy life though." Rika stared at Blythe blankly awaiting an answer.  
"Yeah, I think we did too." Blythe smile back at Rika.  
"Touché~"Rika and Blythe did a weird hand shake pounding their fists together in all directions. Sora and the rest snickered.  
"You're so lame." Sora hollered as he started to burst into laughter. Rika punched him in the face.  
"Who is lame now? You got beat by a girl!" Rika stuck out her tongue.  
"Why you-" Goofy and Donald held Sora back as Blythe held Rika back from getting into a fight. Blythe whispered to Rika at this moment while the others were busy holding Sora back. Sora froze suddenly, feeling a familiar type of energy drift and pulse around him. It was keyblade energy. But he didn't have his keyblade...Sora's eyes snapped up to meet Rika's.

"I knew there was something off about you! It's been bugging me since I've met you! You use a keyblade! You're just like me!"  
"You own a keyblade too?" Blythe asked, in awe. Rika grinned.  
"You bet I do. I was wondering when Sora was going to notice…the keyblade energy seems to become more noticeable here. Anyways, key blade masters seem to always group together. It looks like we were meant to be a group." Blythe smiled back at Rika then at the other three.  
"W-what?" Sra asked shyly, from the two of them smiling at the three creepily.  
"Nothing." They both chimed as they continued to walk down the underworld.  
"When are you going to tell us what happened with you guys, the Kingdom Stone and King Mickey?" Sora yelled after them.  
"We're not story tellers!" Blythe yelled back, her eyes narrowing.


	16. The Reason to Fight

**AN: This is a DOUBLE post. If you've gone straight to the end, go back one. We've posted chapters 15 and 16 :D. **

"Your keyblade…how come you've never used it then?" Sora asked, as they walked down another flight of slippery stairs in the Underworld. Rika drew her gigantic sword from her back. She tapped the blade three times with two fingers, and the image of the sword dissolved away. What was left was a magnificent platinum and black keyblade, decorated with arrow like designs on the blade part and an intricately designed handle.  
"That's incredible." Blythe said in awe. She hadn't known about Rika being able to wield a keyblade as well. She wished for the hundredth time that she could find it in her to summon her keyblade again.  
"So it was disguised all this time." Sora said in wonderment.  
"Only a few people in the universe can use keyblades Sora." Rika said, letting the keyblade vanish from her grip for the first time since they had met her. "It is up to us to bring balance to the universe- although, your burden is heavier then the rest of ours. To be a true keyblade master is a great responsibility." Sora stared at Rika, his mouth subconsciously hanging open. She was acting…sincere?

"How long have you been able to use your keyblade?" Sora asked. Rika shrugged.

"In a way, always. I always believed and dreamed of other worlds when I was a child. The drug I took at the research place must have suppressed it, which is why it didn't really affect me at all. When I finally got out, I realized I could use a keyblade. But, when I discovered that I could, it was dark times for keyblade wielders. It was best to stay secret."

"Is that why they trapped all those children? Because they believed in other worlds, they were possible keyblade users?" Rika nodded slowly.

"It's a possibility." She answered. "Like I said, it was dark times for Keyblade users from when I was caught to the time I was discovered. There was a source that wanted all keyblade users destroyed. I was lucky I wasn't discovered, and I never lost faith. Losing faith was the ultimate death in that place. All those kids…they lost their faith. Losing your faith means losing your keyblade." Rika said. Her words cut down to Sora's very soul. He knew what it was like to lose faith, and then lose your keyblade.

"So there's 90 keyblade wielders out there?" Sora asked. Rika shook her head. .

"They killed all those kids not long after I got out. It was a massacre. This is why we keybladers are all so rare. Just thinking about those times I don't even want to blink." Rika looked towards the ground with a soft and painful expression enveloping her face. "Whenever I see the darkness their lifeless faces look back at me. The tortures of those times haunt me to this very day." Rika went on, starting to think of how much she hates opening up to people.

"Those kids are my resolution for fighting. I will fight in honor of their memory as well as my apology for having done nothing for them. I will fight for every. Single. Last. One of them." Rika's voice had become cold and robotic when she spoke of those massacred keyblade users. Sora felt his own anger build up in him.

"So they killed ninety keyblade users." Sora whispered, fury laced in his voice,

"And they were only kids! There were innocent six year olds there! It was a massacre Sora. Those kids died for what they believed in- and who they were." Rika fell silent then, gaining a little speed to get ahead of the group. Everyone else followed, the news of the massacre still reeling through their heads.

"Rika," Blythe said, putting a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "You want to go find Axel." Rika snapped her head at Blythe.  
"Blythe, I-"  
"Just because I haven't found Terra yet doesn't mean you can't find your best friend Rika." Blythe said fiercely, her eyes flashing in fury. "Don't be a martyr!" Rika was speechless. She had never heard Blythe sound so angry before. Usually with her, Blythe's patience was endless. But here, Blythe was putting her foot down. Rika wanted to find Axel. They had suffered through so much together, and he was the only connection she had to those dead kids now.  
"Well…let's go then!" Sora exclaimed, rushing ahead down the tunnel with Goofy and Donald close on his heels, screaming "AXEL!" all the way down the tunnel. Blythe looked at Rika, a soft smile turning her lips upward.  
"Ready?" Rika grasped on the Blythe's arm.  
"Blythe…"  
"Yeah?"  
"Thanks." Rika said gratefully. Blythe nodded, and pulled Rika along with her to catch up to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"I feel all warm and fuzzy now." Rika poked Sora. "Yopu guys love me soooo much right?" Sora rolled his big blue eyes even though a grin snuck across his face.

"How conceited can you get?" He laughed towards Rika's remark, as everyone united with each other once again, both physically and mentally. Running forward to find Rika's lost friend Axel.

****  
An explosion caused the five companions to abruptly halt. Blythe cursed.  
"The chances of us winning a fight here is…so so low." She said, "The monsters are dead already."  
"The keyblade can destroy them." Sora said. "I've fought loads of things down here already. Rika?"  
"Don't get left behind in my dust pipsqueak." Rika quipped jumping out from behind the corner. Sora ran out after her, both teammates not faltering even when the monster was revealed to them. It was a hydra.  
"Oh lord." Sora muttered.  
"This will be excellent." Rika said, jumping up on the hydra's back. Sora aimed for the heart. "Let's get this party started!" Rika yelled in excitement.

Meanwhile, behind the corner, Blythe paced angrily.  
"I feel so useless!" She seethed. Goofy's face lit up.  
"Gawrsh I just had an idea!" He exclaimed, climbing into a nearby tunnel. Donald and Blythe looked at each other. Donald shrugged and followed Goofy, with Blythe close behind him. The three crawled into the tunnel until they came out on a ledge directly above where Sora and Rika were fighting the hydra.  
"What's your idea Goofy?" Blythe asked, glancing around them.  
"Knock the rocks on the hydra!" Goofy said, starting to push at a rather large boulder. Donald immediately jumped forward to help him. Blythe rushed forward and pushed at it. Between the three of them, they managed push the rock over on the edge, landing with a thump on the hydra's multiple heads. The hydra slumped forward, unconscious.  
"Get up on the hydra's back!" Donald hollered at Sora. Sora shot him a death glare as he jumped on the hydra's back and started to repeatedly hit the weak point between the hydra's heads. The hydra moaned, and then vanished in a puff of wispy white. Blythe, Donald and Goofy all high fived each other, huge grins on their faces.  
"Oh yeah! Shows that we don't need a keyblade to be awesome!" Blythe declared, causing Donald and Goofy to burst into guffaws. She swung down from the ledge to high five Rika.  
"Nice keyblade skills!" She said happily. Rika grinned.  
"I'm pretty awesome eh?" It was obvious that Rika was turning into her usual self. Meanwhile, Donald and Goofy were congratulating Sora on his contributions to the fight.  
"So…shall we go now?" Blythe asked. Everyone nodded and they set off once again.

****  
"We're wasting so much freakin time!" Rika said, flinging herself on the ground. They had been wandering around in the Underworld in search of Axel for hours. Blythe sat next to her.  
"Maybe we all need a break." She said, forlorn obvious on her face. She knew that they were wasting time, but surely they could spare a day or two. This was a chance for Rika to feel closure! Even though Blythe had only known about this for hours, her duty to help Rika, a friend was her number one priority. Everything else had to wait.  
"I'm going to go take a look around." Sora announced. Blythe stood up.  
"I'll take the other tunnel." She said, walking towards the other tunnel. Sora nodded and the two went their separate ways, quickly being joined by Rika, Donald and Goofy.

Sora, Donald and Goofy wandered down the tunnel, their way being lit by the ever present white orbs. Squinting ahead, he was sure he could see a light- which didn't make sense at all. Creeping closer, he looked questioningly at Donald and Goofy. They shrugged, letting him know they saw the light too, but they didn't know what it was either. Walking slowly, they peeked into the light.

What they saw stunned them. Inside the cave, there were huge glowing stones, illuminating a large table. Its occupants were what disturbed Sora the most. Seated at the head was Hades, and at the other head Maleficent. Around her neck was a large white, sparkling stone. It was the Kingdom Stone!

Seated around Maleficent, were Ursula, Captain Hook, Oogie Boogie, Pete, Jafar and three supposed villains that Sora didn't recognize. The first had a grey helmet- like hairstyle, with a high cheek boned face and severe features. She wore a wine- coloured dress and sipped properly at her tea.

The second was one of the most beautiful women Sora had ever seen, except her perfect features were clouded by hate and distaste. She wore flowing black robes that extended up into a tight hood on her head and a simple crow was perched on the hood.

The third was a rather menacing looking body guard. He was wearing black robes that were hardly distinguished from his night black cloak, which he wore the hood up, yet it did nothing to conceal his glowing blood red eyes. His skin was an odd shade of grey and his body was extremely muscular. The oddest thing about him though, were the two horns that protruded from the top of his head.  
"The villains." Sora whispered.  
"I thought we killed them." Donald whispered back, but fell silent as Hades opened his mouth to speak.  
"Look, Maleficent, you know I love you, but I would rather not get mixed up in your plans anymore." He swung his hands around in a matter of fact way while talking.  
"I understand Hades, your expectations have not been met in the previous missions. But, you see, I have something that is precious to our success this time." Hades snorted, and looked around the table.  
"Yeah, like what?" He stated coldly, not actually taking any real care in Maleficent's response. He dug his finger in his ear with no concern.  
"Thanks to the Kingdom Stone, we no longer need to fear death Hades." Maleficent replied coolly. Hades' eyes widened at the mention of the Kingdom Stone.  
"I thought that stupid mouse destroyed that thing like five, six years back."  
"His do- gooder heart wouldn't allow him to. The precious King Mickey was consumed in his own way by its power. The Kingdom Stone will do anything to survive Hades- so it can be used to do either good or evil."  
"You see Hades." The muscular man spoke. Everyone at the table froze, looking at him. He tipped his head up to look Hades in the eye. Hades flinched. "That stone is the key to our survival and our success. We need your assistance to…free…my master."  
"Who's your master?" Hades asked suspiciously.  
"Chernabog." The muscular man answered. Hades' eyes widened.  
"No. That little twerp Sora and his stupid friends destroyed him awhile back."  
"Such is the power of the Kingdom Stone Hades." Maleficent said, dangling the large stone in front of her on its crudely made iron chain. Hades ran a long blue hand down his face.  
"What do you want?" He asked, defeated. He feared Chernabog over everything else. Plus, if their success was guaranteed…  
"We're going to Paris." Maleficent said, putting the Kingdom Stone back around her neck.  
"Why?" Hades demanded.  
"What is the only thing that can stop Chernabog while he's at his FULL power?" Maleficent asked.  
"The Aegius Bell." Hades replied, suspicion still clear in his voice.  
"Right. And that Bell was gifted away to Paris…" Maleficent said. "It's in the Bell Tower of Notre Dame. All we need to do is…pay…the Notre Dame Cathedral a little…visit." Maleficent finished.  
"And destroy the Bell." The muscular man added. Hades nodded dejectedly.  
"Well let me just look in my calender." He added sarcastically. A book popped out of nowhere with a cloud of white smoke. "Well look at that I'm free." Hades shut the book crudely, "Count me in." He continued menacingly, thinking of having a chance to destroy Sora and the rest once again.

Sora, Donald and Goofy stared at each other in horror, before tip toeing quietly away to wait for Blythe and Rika.

****

"This is so a waste of my time." Rika sighed, walking beside Blythe.  
"Sh!" Blythe hissed, checking around a corner again. She gave Rika the all clear sign and they continued to walk. Ahead they could hear clanging and yelling.  
"What's that?" Rika asked, her eyes narrowing towards the sound. Blythe shrugged.  
"Beats me." She said, and sped up her walk a bit. Rika matched Blythe's speed and after turning a few more corners, they came across a large iron door, with a barred window.  
"LET US OUT!" Came the screams from the inside. Blythe lithely jumped up and held onto the bars of the window to look inside. Her eyes widen.  
"Rika! They're prisoners!" She exclaimed, jumping down.  
"No duh." Rika said, rolling her eyes.  
"Is anyone out there?" Came the demand from the inside.  
"Hang on!" Blythe said to the door. "We're going to let you out!" Faint cheers erupted from behind the door.  
"My ass you are." Came the snarky reply. Blythe and Rika whirled around to see Axel, once again standing behind them.  
"Axel?" Rika said incredulously. Axel's eyes widened, stopping the spinning of his two, fiery red and spiky round weapons.  
"Rika! You have to get out of here!" He said, making a lunge for her shoulder. Rika smoothly dodged him.  
"No." She said stubbornly, gesturing for Blythe to get the prisoners out while she distracted Axel.  
"Still as stubborn as always." Axel said, putting his weapons away.  
"I'm not stubborn." Rika warned. "I'm just strong willed." Axel smirked at the remark, and sighed with a drop of his shoulders in defeat. "Now why are you here?" Rika demanded. "I saved you all those years ago so you wouldn't be caught in a place like this!" Rika added coolly.  
"I was fighting some nobodies…and died." Axel said while shifting his head away from Rika in shame.  
"So what are you? A prison guard?" Rika asked, hearing Blythe breaking off the lock.  
" I guess I get a second chance at life…kinda." Axel retorted while motioning his arms forward in a careless way.  
"Why haven't you escaped then?" Rika demanded. "Was my escape plan for you all those years ago totally worthless?" Axel shrugged.  
"I have no where to go Rik." He said, putting his hands behind his head.  
"You might as well come with us then." Rika attempted to say in an aloof kind of way. Blythe dropped the lock due to shock, but Axel didn't notice for he was in a state of shock too.  
"What?"  
"Come on! It'll be like old times! For those kids in the research place Axel!" Rika said. Axel looked at her, his eyes widening in shock.

"Organization 13 killed them." He whispered. "That place, the guy who ran it was a member. Before they understood that keybladers' worth to them, they murdered all of them." Rika fell silent.

"Organization 13 is gone right?" She demanded.

"Yeah. I think so."

"Good. Then those kids are semi- avenged. We have to fully avenge them Axel! Put a stop to villains who have hatred towards keyblade users!" Rika summoned her keyblade to her hand. "I've never lost faith. Have you?" She announced boldly, like a true warrior.

"No. I've just forgotten what I should fight for… for those kids." Axel said, putting his weapons away with a small, overwhelmed smile. Rika smiled back in victory.

"Come on then!"  
"You sure?" He asked. Blythe knew from the tone of his voice that Axel wanted to leave the Underworld very badly.  
"Yeah! But you have to travel with a loser, a duck and a dog…and a retarded box named Mousie." Rika said while rolling her eyes in distaste. "But Blythe's cool." She said, gesturing to her friend, who had successfully opened the door, and waved at Axel. Rika craned her neck to see the inside. It was lined with rows of prison cells.  
"We have to free them." Blythe said softly. Rika nodded.  
"So what do you say Axel? You gonna help us kick ass?" Axel laughed, pulling out his circular weapons again.  
"It'll be my utmost pleasure." He said, his eyes gleaming. Swinging his weapons in an arc, he let them fly across the jail room, cutting down the iron doors with their sharpness. The doors collapsed and the people jumped out and ran towards them in a furious looking mob.  
"Stop!" Blythe hissed, grabbing the nearest person to halt everyone else. "We're here to help! Who are you people?" A young man with thick black hair, poufy pants and a purple vest came forward.  
"I'm Aladdin. This is Jasmine, my wife." He said gesturing to a pretty girl with large gold earrings and long black hair. "This is Abu" a small monkey with an even smaller hat quickly looked away from Axel, Blythe and Rika while pouting. "And this is Iago." A colourful parrot waved a wing and cawed a hello with a deep and gravely voice.  
"Pleased to make your acquaintance sweetheart." Iago said in an obnoxious tone.  
"Iago! Anyways, and this is Peter, Tinkerbell, Wendy, Tarzan, Jane and Professor Porter." Aladdin finished, gesturing to a young boy clothed entire in green, a tiny pixie also clothed in a mini green dress, a young girl wearing a light blue dress, a muscular man wearing nothing but a loincloth, a woman wearing a white tank top and a long brown skirt and a short, balding man wearing extremely nerdy clothing. A flash of recognition rose in Blythe.  
"Tarzan! So you others must be from Agrabah and Neverland!" The group nodded as their consecutive worlds were named.  
"We're here with Sora-" Blythe was cut off when a loud cheer sounded from the group. "SHUT UP!" She hissed softly. "We don't want anyone to hear us!" They quieted.  
"What she's TRYING to say." Rika said, "Is that we're busting you out of here." Aladdin looked at them with suspicion.  
"Who are you?"  
"This is Blythe, Axel and I'm Rika." Rika said, lazily making the introductions.  
"How do we know that we can trust you?" Peter Pan asked, doubt lacing his tone. Rika threw her hands up in the air.  
"Geez people! Fine then! Rot in here! Come on guys." Rika said, turning to walk away.  
"No! Don't go!" Jane said, a British accent strong in her voice. She turned to everyone. "They're our only hope."  
"They say they're with Sora! Bring him here!" Aladdin demanded.  
"That will take too long!" Blythe said, resisting the urge to punch him. So, naturally, she wasn't upset or mortified when Rika went up to Aladdin and punched him in the face.  
"Okay, shut up." She ordered. "Everyone who doesn't wanna rot in a jail cell come with us, if you want to rot in a jail cell, stay here." With that, the three companions turned and started to walk out of the tunnel, followed by everyone they had saved from the jail.

****  
"I see them!" Sora said, waving at Blythe and Rika. His eyes widened when he saw they were followed by Axel, and he nearly passed out when he saw who they were followed by.  
"Aladdin! Jasmine! Iago! Abu! Peter! Wendy! Tarzan! Jane! Professor Porter!" Sora, Donald and Goofy cried, springing to their found friends. Everyone laughed and hugged, relieved to have found each other again- safe and alive…kinda.  
"Where's everyone else? The Sultan? The Lost Boys?" Sora asked.  
"We don't know." Wendy said, her tone full of grief, no doubt thinking of her lost brothers. "Hades kept the ones that were the most likely to rebel in prison cells."  
"So…are you alive or dead?" Donald asked, scratching his head.  
"Dead." Jasmine said. "But thankfully, we can walk out of Hades' gates and be just fine." Sora beamed. He turned to Axel.  
"Does this mean you're joining us too?" He asked. Axel shrugged.  
"Hey, I need some sun." Sora laughed and turned to the group.  
"Okay, your guys' worlds are inhabitable at the moment." He said, causing everyone's faces to fall. "But we'll drop you off at Radiant Gardens, they have some sort of relief camp set up there." Sora thought to himself sure they'd be fine with helping his friends out. He turned to Aladdin. "What happened to your world?"  
"Some sort of undead army of green heartless- like things came and attacked us. We were no match." Sora turned to his companions, who shook their head in confusion. No one knew what the cause of the destruction of their worlds was.

* * *

**Double post! *cheers!* What did you guys think of Rika's story? Leave a review! This was at least one of our favourite chapters to write! We hoped you enjoyed it!**


	17. Temporary Protection

"What's up with all these people?" Cloud had walked into their 'home base' in Radiant Garden.  
"We haven't seen you before." Rika said as she walked up to a man dressed in a black outfit, blond spiky hair with bright blue eyes peaking out of a black scarf type thing. She walked around him, inspecting his gear, mainly the huge sword hanging off his back.  
"What's wrong with this girl?" The man asked as he took a step back and an arm out in front of him.  
"Relax Cloud, or are you scared of a girl?" Leon teased Cloud. Cloud and Leon stared at each other, fighting with their eyes.  
"If I recall correctly, you got your sword stolen from her without you noticing until after she had started to swing it around." Blythe countered while snickering a bit.  
"Uh-" Cloud looked at Leon and then sighed.  
"Whatever." Cloud waked over to a wall and leaned on it with his arms crossed.  
"Speaking of which, can I see your sword?" Rika asked as she walked over to Cloud again. Clouds eyes narrowed as he was about to take out sword.  
"Ahaha, she was joking." Axel grabbed Rika by the arm and pulled her away from Cloud.  
"Are you crazy?!" Axel whispered threateningly at Rika.  
"Yes. I believe I am a little." Rika stared at Axel. He placed one hand on his forehead in disbelief.  
"Of course you're crazy." Rika and Axel stood next to each other as they watched everyone get in order.  
"I think we need more space." Blythe said loudly, speaking over everyone else's voice.  
"I agree!" Merlin said as him and Cid were arguing over personal space. They were crowded between the people from Agrabah and the people from Never Land.  
"Get off me!" Cid yelled as Merlin pulled out his wand resulting in everyone being blown away.  
"Ah, that's better." Merlin said as he wiped off the dust from his clothes then stepped over Cid who was lying on the ground while cursing Merlin.  
"Rika! I've made a layout plan, let's get to work building it so there's some space in here!" Rika ran over to Blythe and they ran out of the room collecting materials from the market place.  
"Axel…" Sora walked up to Axel who was debating whether to go with Rika and Blythe or not.  
"Oh, hey kid." Axel looked back down at Sora, who was still a lot shorter than him. "Heh, haven't grown much have you?" Sora's face turned beet red.  
"What are you talking about?! I grew a good two inches since I last saw you." Axel laughed.  
"So, thanks for what you did for me back then." Sora started to shuffle his feet around nervously.  
"What are you a girl?" Rika taunted Sora as she ran past them grabbing Merlin, then the two of them running back out.  
"It wasn't really for you." Sora looked back in confusion.  
"Suuure." Sora said as he walked away thinking Axel was just being shy. Axel looked blankly at Sora and was thinking of how what he said was true. He only saved his life because he was Roxas, and Roxas was his only friend at that time.  
"Merlin! Move that there….perfect! Let's do this Rika, Sora come help too!!" Blythe closed her eyes as did Rika, along with Sora; they put out there hands and concentrated hard. Merlin had used his magic to hold all the materials in place while Rika used fire to mold them together and Blythe cooled it off with ice magic and used her earth ability to make walls and a ceiling. Sora did all the jobs extremely well. After they had finished, a new extension of the house had appeared, along with various pieces of furniture.  
"Bravo! Young ones these days sure do have a lot of energy." Merlin started laughing to himself as he wiped off some sweat from his forehead.  
"Let's fill the rooms with stuff now!" Blythe ran forward deciding what should go where, excited at decorating the rooms.  
"We have enough space for quite a few people. This should be sufficient for now." Rika looked around the rooms and frowned.  
"Home….huh?" Rika looked at everyone who was flooding into the newly developed part of the house.  
"This is a perfectly fine second home!" Jasmine said to Rika while placing a hand on Rika's shoulder.  
"It's great thanks to all your efforts." Jasmine smiled as Aladdin caught up to her with Abu and they walked off to their own rooms.  
"Great, more people to make noise are all we need." Cloud said while walking into the new extension of the house.  
"Oh relax, it's not like you have to go into this part of the house!" Blythe argued.  
"Whatever." Cloud walked out of the room, Rika sneakily following after. Blythe and Axel noticed so the two of them caught Rika and pulled her back.  
"But the sword! Come on!" Rika protested watching the huge sword and Cloud drift away.  
"Come on. We should make another stop at a new world. Mousie seems to be going crazy, I'm afraid another world is in danger." Sora said as he walked up to the three of them.  
"I wonder which world it is this time?" Blythe asked out loud.  
"Let's go then!" Donald said loudly. They all waved their good byes and walked towards another gummi ship which Cid had made for them.

****

"Leaving so soon?" Rabbit asked sadly.  
"Yeah." Sora said, patting Rabbit on the head.  
"Don't leave me with these lunatics!" He hissed, grabbing Sora's pant leg.  
"Relax Rabbit; you've lived with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Roo, Kanga and Owl for your entire life." Sighing, Rabbit hopped off to join Tigger, Pooh and Piglet, who were really getting into a game of cards.  
"Wait Sora!" Wendy said, rushing over to him.  
"What is it Wendy?" Sora asked.  
"Try to find my brothers." She pleaded. "And the lost boys."  
"I promise." Sora said, holding a fist on his heart. Wendy smiled and allowed herself to be pulled away by Peter. He looked up at Donald and Goofy.  
"Ready to go?" He asked.  
"Yeah!" Donald said, holding his staff up as he marched out the door- and was promptly tripped by Rika.  
"Who's the loser now?" She cackled, before she was dragged by Axel and Blythe to the Gummi Ship. Sora and Goofy glanced at each other before bending down to help Donald up.  
"Well…at least there are two people to keep Rika in check now…" Goofy commented, as he took out his handkerchief to fan Donald's face.  
"It's a small world after all!" Donald sang stupidly.

****  
"Well…this is so much better!" Rika said happily, seating herself in a leather chair inside their new ship. "Our old one was pretty okay renovated, but since I put it together with no tools it might have fallen apart." Everyone flinched, but otherwise agreed with Rika. Their new Gummi Ship was a sleek fire engine red, decorated with the logo of "Kingdom Hearts". It had a rich black leather interior and extra rooms filled out the back, so they could all sleep at the same time now. All their screens were an upgraded flat-screen plasma, or projection and they had a kitchen like room in the very corner. It was beyond comfortable.

"Where are we supposed to go now Sora?" Blythe asked. Sora had just finished filling in everyone about what he, Donald and Goofy had discovered in the Coliseum. Reaching into his pocket, Sora extracted Mousie from his hiding place. He shook Mousie three times before the small box revealed the map again. Everyone immediately crowded around it.  
"Okay, so if this is the Coliseum and this is Adam and Belle's castle." Blythe though aloud.  
"So…we're going back to Paris." Sora stated.  
"Yeah. If they get their hands on the Aeigus Bell…" Blythe said, shaking her head. "We'll be so screwed. Nothing will be able to stop Chernabog- not even us."  
"Do you guys know anyone there that could help us?" Goofy asked.  
"No. Villains- and they're not even originally from Paris." Rika said, resting her chin in her hands in a bored gesture.  
"Looks like we'll make some new friends!" Sora said, giving Donald and Goofy highfives.  
"Losers!" Axel coughed.  
"Hey!-" Sora started.  
"Children play nicely now!" Blythe scolded.  
"How much longer until we get there?!" Axel demanded, leaning back in his seat with a whine. Sora turned to Goofy, who was manning the wheel, muttering about how smooth their new steering was.  
"Gawrsh I dunno. Maybe in three hours?" Goofy suggested, not taking his eyes off their flight path. Everyone groaned and flipped back in their chairs.  
"Three hours!" Rika complained, covering her face with her hands. "That's the farthest planet yet! That means we're probably on the other side of the universe!"  
"I have an idea…" Sora hedged. "Why don't you tell us what happened with you, Mickey and the Kingdom Stone?" Rika shot a death glare at Sora, but it didn't seem to deter him one bit. "We have a right to know!" He protested, looking at Blythe. Blythe sighed, turning to Rika.  
"Rika, they have a right to know what they're up against." She sighed, looking extremely annoyed. She was infuriated that they both had to lay out their life story for Sora. Rika blew a stray piece of hair off her face.  
"Fine. But you're telling it."  
"What?" Blythe demanded, exasperated. "I've told pretty much every story!"  
"I told the last one." Rika taunted. "Plus you can tolerate stupid questions better then I can." Blythe shot a death glare at Rika, who pretended not to notice. Sighing, Blythe realized it was pointless to try and get Rika to do something she didn't want to do.  
"Okay, it was a couple years ago. I don't know how long ago, since Arrow has no meaning of time, as you already know." Everyone nodded. "Rika and I had been doing research to see what we were going to accomplish to gain power- I think Arrow was fairly new when this happened. I guess it was really by chance Rika came across the book for the Kingdom Stone."  
"Not luck- skill." Rika said smugly. Blythe rolled her eyes.  
"Anyways, so basically we couldn't figure out how to read the language of the book- so we used other resources that told of how two pieces of the stone had been broken off- one was stolen and one was gifted away. The stolen piece had been abandoned on an unforeseen planet. So after another year of research, we set off for that planet. After a few days of tracking the stone, we were attacked by a hoard of heartless- except then, we didn't know that they were heartless. So we attacked them, and it didn't really work out well. There were so many! But then this Mouse comes out and starts to fight with us. And with his help, we fought off thousands of heartless. After we finished he asked us what we were doing on this planet. We told him we were looking for a power source. He said that we were looking for the same thing, and if he could join us. We agreed and after three weeks, we finally found the missing piece. Rika found it and picked it up, but it turned her entire eyes an electric blue colour. Mickey tried to snatch it out of her hand but Rika dodged and started to run with it. Mickey ran after her, with me close behind and we tackled her and Mickey grabbed the stone with a glove. He turned to us and said, 'this thing cannot be touched. Its power will control and destroy you if it hasn't been exposed to its desired act.'"  
"Desired act?" Sora asked.  
"It means what it was programmed to do." Blythe answered. "Like the stone from King Arthur's sword didn't affect us because it was doing what it was sent out to do."  
"Then why isn't Maleficent being controlled?" Sora asked.  
"She's probably strong enough to use it." Blythe answered. "Rika and I haven't learned much magic- only some simple spells and the elemental stuff."  
"How did it control Mickey then?" Sora asked.  
"Mickey wasn't controlled." Blythe explained. "He was tempted, and no matter how strong you are, you are always going to be tempted by the stone. Maleficent is obviously tempted by its power."  
"Where's the rest of the stone?" Donald asked, not truly being able to comprehend that there was a bigger Kingdom Stone out in the world.  
"Destroyed. That's why this small piece is so precious." Blythe answered. "It is the only piece that can be channeled with proper power."  
"Destroyed?" Sora repeated, awe lacing his voice. Ignoring him, Blythe continued their tale.  
"So, we said to Mickey that we should destroy a piece of power like this. He agreed and promised to destroy it if we would trust it in his possession. Seeing how he was the only one who could wield it, we agreed, with the condition that he would destroy it. But as you can see now, that didn't work very well." Blythe finished, leaving the entire ship in a state of silence.  
"I always knew that Mouse would screw up at something." Axel growled.  
"What can we do to fix this?" Goofy asked.  
"There's only one thing we can do isn't there." Sora said. Blythe nodded, but Rika spoke up.  
"We're going to have to steal the stone back."  
"WHA?" Donald quacked.  
"But there's a catch." Blythe cautioned. Everyone turned to her. "Only Donald or Sora can touch the stone."  
"WHA?" Donald repeated loudly.  
"Donald SHUT UP!" Rika snapped. "Get a grip! This is important!"  
"So only Donald and I can touch the stone," Sora said slowly. "Because we're both strong magic users."  
"It's probably safer if you touch it though Sora." Rika said, shooting Donald a nasty stare. "The duck would be tempted."  
"Donald's EXTREMELY loyal to King Mickey though." Sora argued. Blythe held up her hands.  
"Guys, I'm pretty sure we can trust Donald and Sora to do the right thing." She said, effectively ending the argument.  
"Sure sure." Axel yawned, earning a high five from Rika.

****  
"We're coming up to Paris!" Goofy announced, turning the ship slightly to follow the GPS' orders. Rika cheered.  
"Finally! If I stay on this stupid ship on more minute I think I'll-" Suddenly there was a bang and the Gummi Ship smacked into an invisible force field and the ship went spinning out of the control.  
"Yeesh. Not again!" Donald moaned, hanging on for dear life. Goofy strained at the wheel until he successfully straightened out the Gummi Ship. Sora sat up.  
"Damage report?" He asked Donald, who was pressing buttons. After a few seconds, Donald breathed a sigh of relief.  
"All systems are fine!" He announced.  
"Surprising…" Axel said sarcastically.  
"What was that?" Blythe asked, standing up to look out the window over Sora's spiky head.  
"Force Field. We can't enter the world!" Sora said, panic starting to rise in him.  
"Thanks to yours truly." Rika said, holding up her Zetra Phone.  
"Rika! You're a genius!" Blythe cried happily.  
"I know." Rika grinned. Sora was confused.  
"I placed a call to the world." Rika said, her eyes gleaming. "And told them that Maleficent was on her way. They put up the force field that locks the world." Sora turned to Donald and Goofy, grinning.  
"They put the force field back up!" He exclaimed happily. Donald and Goofy cheered.  
"Where do we go now?" Blythe asked. "That force field won't hold The Kingdom Stone off forever."  
"We install the liquid." Rika answered. "How about that world over there?" Everyone's eyes turned to the world Rika was pointing at.  
"The Pridelands!" He exclaimed.


	18. Enter: Pridelands

"It's no use I can't find them anywhere." Sora said as he collapsed on the floor and looked up at Blythe. Blythe folded under her striped black and white legs sitting next to the small, black lion cub, Sora.  
"I can't believe you're a zebra." Sora remarked snickering a bit.  
"What's wrong with a zebra?! They're cool!" Sora yawned and flipped over on his back wiggling his body in the long, green and luscious grass.  
"I really wonder where the rest are….." Sora said looking up at the dark blue night sky, and all the tiny bright stars.  
"The only downfall to a zebra is that you don't have pockets and also you can't really phone anyone…" Blythe said as she too looked up at the sky thinking of how to communicate with Rika. "Speaking of which, where are we?" Blythe asked looking back down at Sora who was curled up in a ball and asleep. Blythe sighed and laid her head down, quickly falling asleep herself.

****

"Sora!" Donald yelled as he flapped around, being that he had turned into a shockingly white and fluffy bird with a blue cap on.  
"Rika, Blythe!" Goofy yelled quickly after, while Donald landed on Goofy's shell. Goofy slowly started to walk forward.  
"Sora!" Donald yelled again getting irritated that no one was answering and he was riding the slowest animal around, a turtle.  
"Axel!" Goofy yelled again. Goofy and Donald looked at each other in fright, the night noises started to spook them. Whether it was the crickets, the sound of an animal walking through the forest or even just the wind they would start to coward in fear.  
"Gawrsh Donald, you don't suppose they got eaten do yeah?" Goofy backed up as fast as he could.  
"N-n-n-no way! Stop spouting nonsense!" Donald timidly struck back.  
"Hey Pumbaa! If it isn't our old pals!" A little yellowish brown animal walked out of the forest with a big brown pig next to him, making the animal seem even smaller.  
"What are you supposed to be?" Goofy said as he approached the small animal.  
"I'm Timon." Timon struck out a thumb, pointing at himself proudly.  
"He's a meerkat." Blythe trotted over to the group of them with the little Sora trailing after her.  
"Sora!" Donald yelled as he flew over to Sora. Both of them were smiling and laughing at their lovely reunion until Sora thought of how Rika would surely tease him about it. Quickly the two of them got embarrassed and separated, trying to look aloof. Sora looked around remembering Rika and Axel were still missing.  
"How'd yeah find us though?" Goofy asked as he slowly turned away from Timon and Pumbaa.  
"Well you talk loud enough." Sora laughed.  
"And who is this charming young lady?" Timon ran up to Blythe and kissed her hoof. Blythe being shocked stepped back and away from Timon.  
"That was awkward she whispered to Sora. He laughed at her and leaped forward at Timon and Pumbaa.  
"How have things been here?" Sora asked happily, relieved to see they appeared to be doing fine.  
"Simba and Nala had a kid!" Pumbaa yelled excitedly.  
"Yeah, and we're stuck being her babysitter." Timon started to rub his forehead in agony over the thought.  
"Who are Simba and Nala?" Blythe asked, not quite sure of what was going on.  
"Simba is the king and Nala's his girlfriend." Sora said while half teasing the couple.  
"Alright then…" Blythe said, sure she'd understand when she meets the two.  
"What's the cub's name? Is he as strong as Simba?" Sora asked, thinking back at all the fights he went through with Simba.  
"He's a she." Pumbaa replied.  
"And his/ her name is Kiara." Timon said with a sigh.  
"Hey, where are Rika and Axel?" Blythe asked, looking around.  
"I guess they're the only ones missing." Sora looked around thinking of where they mite be.  
"We saw a lion cub with bushy red hair, and some scary black figure with it." Timon said trying to help.  
"The red one could be Axel." Blythe said.  
"Well what about the black thing?" Goofy asked looking back at Sora with a serious look.  
"A heartless?" Sora asked.  
"Come on we'll lead you to them!" Timon said motioning them to follow. "Now sing with me!"  
"Hakuna, mata, hakuna, matata~" They all sang together while walking in a line, and shaking their heads from side to side with the beat.

****

"Ha! You're a lion cub! You're such a baby!" a little black leopard cub teased.  
"Better than some nobody leopard, got that memorized?" Axel teased back. The two cubs walked around in a circle opposite of each other, facing each other almost about to start a fight.  
"Bring it." Rika hissed, prowling close to the ground and about to pounce.  
"You're going to lose!" Axel roared as the both started to get into a fight, clawing each other's face, biting hard on the other's ear, rolling on the ground with a puff of smoke surrounding them.  
"Hey! Knock it off!" A soothing, slightly high, male voice said, echoing throughout the forest area. A lion with bright red mane approached them both, picked Axel up with his teeth and dropped Axel beside himself.  
"And you are?" Rika asked while licking off bits of dirt and a bit of blood off her shiny black coat.  
"I'm Simba." Simba raised his chest and looked down at them with almost glowing bright gold eyes.  
"Crap, I'm bleeding too." Axel said, totally ignoring Simba and looking over himself seeing where he was injured.  
"You guys are almost as bad as Kiara." Simba said to himself in disbelief.  
"Excuse me?" Rika said walking forward threateningly. Nevertheless it didn't work so well considering she was a tiny leopard cub while Simba was a fully fanged, Lion King.

"It's nothing, it's just that I haven't seen you around before…" Simba walked around the two of them suspiciously.  
"You wouldn't happen to have seen a kid named Sora?" Rika asked, thinking this might just be a stroke of great fortune.  
"Sora? You're a friend of Sora? Well how is he?" Simba demanded, lighting up with a smile as he started to prance around them excitedly.  
"He's doing well." Rika said, shaking her in dismay.  
"Well where is he?" Simba asked looking around.  
"I think there's something wrong with this one." Axel whispered as he quietly went and sat beside Rika.  
"I guess that means he hasn't seen them." Rika sighed, snickering slightly.  
"Come and stay at my place! They're bound to show up there some time any ways!" Simba yelled happily as he picked the two of them up by the back of their necks.  
"Where are you taking us?" Rika yelled to Simba as he ran through the forest.  
"More importantly," Axel glared at Rika for asking the wrong question, "why were you here in the forest in the first place?" Simba suddenly came to a sudden stop. More dust flew up from the soil on the ground and he looked around.  
"Kiara!" he yelled as loud as he could, looking around.  
"Go back to where you're headed, she's probably there already." Rika said to Simba, not quite sure of what was happening however still fairly confident in her answer.  
"I guess we'll check quickly." Simba slurred from the two from the two of them hanging from his mouth.

****

Simba ran past grass, mud, rock, sand and then went back on more rocky land until they found themselves facing a huge rocky, mountain type lay out. There was a large flat rock sticking out from high up on the structure. Simba jumped his way to up there, walked to the very edge of the large flat rock and dropped the two cubs.  
"Wait here." He said as he ran back into the cave.  
"Wow, look at that!" Rika said as her and Axel looked out over all of the land, called Pride Rock.  
"What's that over there?" Axel asked, motioning to a dead looking section of the land.  
"Oh, you can't go there." A little female cub ran up to Axel and Rika.  
"Why not?" Axel asked.  
"Daddy says it's not safe and to never go there." The little cub sat down, with a depressed expression on her face.  
"Well, it's a good thing I don't have to listen to your daddy." Rika said. "Oh, you're Kiara aren't you?" Rika walked past Kiara and looked back at her.  
"That's me, but what do you mean you don't have to listen to my dad?" Kiara got up and ran over Rika walking in front of her and placing a leg out in front to block Rika.  
"I'm just saying it's not like I have to listen to your dad." Rika said snobbishly.  
"Rika!" Axel said boldly, trying to make her stop acting that way.  
"My dad's king of this land. You HAVE to listen to him." Kiara fought back. Rika's face grew slightly shocked.  
"King?" Rika said to herself.  
"That's right, King." Kiara said smugly.  
"Kiara I was so worried about you!" Simba ran out and rubbed his face against Kiara while purring loudly.  
"Rika and Axel!?" Everyone yelled while walking out with a happy golden lion.  
"And this is?" Axel said un-amused with all the new introductions.  
"Nala, Timon, Pumbaa!" Timon pointed at all of them. "Now we know each other! Isn't this great?" Timon said while leaning on Pumbaa who was shaking his head yes rapidly.  
Where were you??" Blythe said. Rika looked up at Blythe's black and white striped face.  
"Blythe?" Rika said unsure if that was her or not.  
"Yeah!?" Blythe said happily.  
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rika rolled on the ground while laughing. "A zebra!"  
"Hey! What is wrong with a zebra?!" She yelled angrily.  
"I know!" Sora laughed along with Rika. Axel, Goofy and Donald went next to Blythe staring at Sora and Blythe laugh.  
"Idiots." Axel said, looking at Rika laugh sympathetically.  
"Gawrsh don't worry Blythe! I don't get why they're laughing either." Goofy said while trying to scratch his head. "But I guess you turning out to be a zebra can be kinda funny huh?" Goofy chuckled to himself.  
"We thought you'd be something powerful I guess." Donald said to Blythe as he flapped by Blythe's head.  
"Wow, you being nice is kind of weird." Blythe said bluntly. Donald's face went red with anger as he went and flapped by Simba.  
"They're kind of funny aren't they dad?" Kiara said to Simba.  
"Yeah, they're a funny bunch." Simba said as him, Nala and Kiara watched the strange group of animals talk amongst themselves.  
"Now who's up for some grub?" Timon yelled. "Hit it!" Timon order Pumbaa, as Pumbaa lifted a nearby log. Many bugs flew and crawled out with many colours blazing.  
"Mmmmm, it's scrumptious." Timon said as he picked up a bug and crunched on it until it was gone. Sora, Donald and Axel all looked at them in disgust. Rika looked at Timon and Pumbaa chow down a pile of bugs unemotionally, until she finally opened her mouth.  
"Don't you ever eat in front of me again." With that she and everyone turned around in their own disturbed way and head into the cave with Simba and the rest.


	19. Storm

Rika tossed and turned on the hard stone floor. Her newly acquired baby jaguar form didn't make sleeping on the ground any easier. She turned her new night vision towards Blythe, who was sleeping quietly in a corner. Her new form had made her just a tad cautious of the multiple lions sharing the cave with her. Sleeping beside her were Timon, Pumbaa, Donald, Goofy and Sora. Shaking herself, and without waking Axel, who had been sprawled out next to her, Rika slipped outside into the night air of Africa. She sat at the peak of Pride Rock, gazing at the stars dotting the sky. She had never seen stars this beautiful before. Each star glowed and sparkled like a single diamond against a cloth of blue velvet. The crescent moon also shone beautifully, cradling a feel of gentle peace across the Pridelands. Rika just simply couldn't deny it. The Pridelands were a beautiful place. Turning back around, Rika entered the cave once more to take her spot beside Axel again before falling back asleep.

Sora opened his eyes only to be burned by the faint sun filtering through the cracks in the cave. Groaning, he stretched, feeling every stiff joint flare up in pain. He had slept well enough last night, but his body was not accustomed to sleeping on a hard stone floor. Blinking, he glanced around and saw Simba's massive form curled protectively around Kiara and Nala, Rika and Axel sleeping in close proximity to each other, yet not touching, Blythe sleeping in the corner, with Pumbaa and Timon curled against her, and Donald and Goofy sleeping just off to his left. Stretching again, Sora silently crept out the cave opening to bask in the light of the morning. Once seated at the peak, he let his eyes trail up and down the view it showed. It was absolutely stunning. Even the most beautiful scenery in Destiny Islands could not compare to what he was seeing at the moment.  
"It really is beautiful eh?" Simba commented, coming to sit beside him. Sora nearly jumped out of his skin.  
"Geez! At least announce your presence before you talk next time!" He grumbled, moving over to make room for the huge lion. Simba laughed.  
"What would be the fun in that?" He asked.  
"Yeah…killing my heart…tons of fun," Sora muttered.  
"I like your friends." Simba said. "Except that baby leopard freaks me out a bit, and hanging out with a zebra…that doesn't exactly do much for my rep as king." Sora chortled.  
"Rika will always freak you out, no matter what you do or where you go. Why Blythe is a zebra…I don't know. It's funny!"  
"It is not." A voice snapped from behind them, causing Sora to freeze. He heard the clip clop of hooves against the stone. "Just you watch. While we're here, we're going to have to run really fast. I will beat you all!"  
"Sorry Blythe." Sora mumbled, not wanting a hoof to the head this early in the morning. Blythe snorted, but it sounded so much like a horse, Sora burst into peals of laughter. Simba stayed composed, but anyone would have been able to see his right whiskers twitching in restrained laughter. As predicted, Sora got a hoof to the face. Simba just caught him before he tumbled off Pride Rock. While Sora grumbled, Rika, Axel, Donald and Goofy came out of the cave, blinking sleepily.  
"That must have been the worst sleep I've ever had!" Rika announced, yawning widely. Axel recoiled from her immediately, rolling to get away from her.  
"Morning breath," He explained, gesturing at Rika, when everyone looked at him questioningly. Sora laughed again, but it died in his throat when he saw the expression on Rika's face. He quickly turned his gaze to his paws. Rika nodded with satisfaction before turning to her group.  
"What are we up to in this world?" She asked. Everyone shook their heads, unsure.  
"Install the liquid?" Sora volunteered, trying to redeem himself. Rika nodded slowly.  
"Besides that," she said.  
"Why don't we just look around?" Blythe suggested.  
"Yeah, then we'll see if there's anything else we need to do." Axel said. Simba nodded.  
"Good idea. I can't go with you, since I have to stay here to watch over the Pridelands." Simba said regretfully.  
"That's fine. We'll be back at the end of the day." Sora answered, jumping down the natural stone steps that led down Pride Rock. Simba nodded, and the rest of the group followed.

*****  
The group drew strange stares as they crossed the Pridelands. They couldn't decide

what the best conclusion was to explain a flying bird, a turtle and a zebra were safely walking with two lion cubs and a black leopard cub. As they plodded silently through the tall golden grass, there came a crack of thunder and it started to pour.  
"Great." Rika moaned, flicking her small paws to get the water off her fur. Axel and Sora shook their fur coats roughly, Goofy tucked his head in his shell, and Donald walked under Blythe.  
"There's a cave up there!" Sora yelled over the howling wind. "Let's take shelter!"

*****  
The six companions filed into the cave, each shaking their fur coats as they entered.  
"It's freezing in here!" Blythe shivered, folding her long legs beneath her to lie on the floor.  
"It's better then standing out in the rain." Sora said grimly, sniffing out the cave. It smelt like wet socks.  
"I'm cold!" Rika complained. "IF we weren't stupid animals we could probably make a fire." Blythe glared at Rika. Rika's eyes brightened.  
"Oh yeah! Is there any wood in here?"  
"No." Sora said dejectedly. "I already thought of making a fire, and there's no extra wood in here. The wood outside would take too long to dry."  
"Alright, then let's just go to the very back of the cave." Blythe said, standing up, shaking her coat and shivering. She took three steps forward, before a rumbling noise shook the cave. She turned to her companions, eyes wide.  
"That's not thunder." Goofy said, inching towards Blythe.  
"I don't smell anything." Sora said, sniffing the air. Rika and Axel sniffed too.  
"I don't smell anything either." Rika whispered.  
"Me neither." Axel said softly. Blythe pricked her ears forward, raising her large, dished face towards the sound.  
"It's getting louder." She hissed, straining her night vision. Suddenly, an entire hoard of green-eyed heartless burst into the group's field of vision.  
"RUN!" Sora yelled. With paws scratching and hooves galloping, the six companions fled the cave.

*****  
The rain cruelly hit their faces as soon as they got out of the cave. Blythe had swung Goofy up on her back, as he was having problems keeping up.  
"I can't see!" Donald hollered, landing on Blythe's back beside Goofy. No one could. They were all running blindly. Abruptly, a flash of lightning lit up their path, revealing an enormous crevice less then five feet away. Axel, Rika and Sora skidded to a stop, knowing that to try and jump was suicide. Instead of stopping, Blythe gathered more speed and cleared the crevice, skidding on the wet stone and falling over after she hit the other side. Donald and Goofy slid across the soaked rock after they were thrown from Blythe's back. Blythe scrambled up on her feet and saw Sora, Axel and Rika still on the other side.  
"What are you waiting for? JUMP!" She screamed.  
"We won't be able to make it!" Sora yelled back, summoning his keyblade in his mouth. Rika copied his action.  
"You can't fight them! That will be suicide!" Blythe yelled back, seeing the faint tinge of poisonous green eyes in the distance.  
"Jumping would be suicide!" Axel yelled back. Blythe threw her head and paced the crevice. She had no time to make three trips. Would she be able to make the jump with all three of them on her back? They weren't that big…  
"Hang on!" Blythe shrieked into the rain. Backing up five steps, Blythe hurtled at the crevice once again, gaining full speed and cleared the crevice. "Get on!" She bellowed in the general direction of Rika, Sora and Axel. She felt twelve sets of claws jump on her back one by one and cling onto her back. Backing up once again, Blythe galloped towards the crevice. Everything snapped into slow motion. Blythe knew before she started running that the combined weight of Axel, Rika and Sora were much more then the combined weight of Donald and Goofy. Blythe stretched her front hooves as far as they would go, realizing with a sinking feeling that she wasn't going to be able to secure her landing with her back hooves. "Hang on!" She yelled again, as her hooves made contact with the edge. She felt claws dig into her skin and wrap around her neck. Her body swung forward, her back hooves smashing into the wall of the crevice.  
"Blythe!" Donald and Goofy yelled, running over to hold her front hooves.  
"Use me as a ladder!" Blythe bellowed back at Rika, Axel and Sora.  
"Sora you're at the head! Go first!" Rika yelled up at Sora. Blythe felt claws tract and retract into her skin as Sora clambered up her head, followed by Axel and then Rika. With the help of Donald and Goofy, Blythe pushed herself up onto the crevice's end. Sora raised his head, seeing the heartless hopelessly stuck on the other side. Feeling satisfied, he rushed to Blythe's side.  
"Blythe! Are you okay?" He demanded. Blythe opened a deep brown eye, lashes wet from the pouring rain.  
"Aren't you glad that I'm a zebra now?" She joked weakly.

****

"What were you thinking?!" Rika dashed up to Blythe and scratched one of her legs lightly.  
"Ouch!" Blythe yelled, startled and slightly upset.  
"Some zebra you are! You could have died! If I was bigger I'd eat you right now! Mind your own business and never almost kill yourself like that again!" Rika roared to Blythe.  
"You three would have died!" Blythe exasperated.  
"What about Donald and Goofy then?! We'd be dead and then they'd die too because they're weak! Besides, we could have fought them off and then escaped!"  
"Hey! We're not weak!" Donald furiously said back to Rika's remark. He flapped his white feathery wings hard and flew around Sora. "That's right! They could have survived!" Sora fought back to Rika as well.  
"Still, sacrifice is something foolish, arrogant and inconsiderate to those you leave behind!" Rika yelled back to everyone.  
"I wasn't going to kill you, me or anyone! Geez, I'm stronger than that." Blythe said, slowly starting to calm down.  
"I know, it's just, you were too reckless!" Blythe looked down at Rika's pouting face and starting snickering.  
"You were just jealous of me being a zebra." Blythe teased.  
"No way, I'd prefer to be a horse." Rika said matter-of-factly.  
"What's so different between a zebra and a horse?" Blythe and Rika discussed, as the group started to move their way back to Pride Rock.

****

"Blythe, you're going to have to release the blue liquid." Rika remarked. She had the blue container in her mouth.  
"Why can't you do it?" Blythe complained.  
"And how do you expect me to do it?" Rika countered.  
"Well how do you expect me to open it?" Blythe whined back at Rika while stomping a hoof.  
"I expect you to break it open." Rika said blankly, looking back at Blythe as if it were a no brainer.  
"Fine!" Blythe got up on two hind legs and stomped down with as much force as she could. The first time nothing happened, the next time she stomped there was a crack until she finally managed to break it open and yet again the usual flash of light and glitter enveloped around them.  
"What's Sora doing?" Blythe asked as she saw Sora curled up in a ball and shivering uncontrollably.  
"You okay?" Rika asked as she pawed him in the face.  
"Yeah, just a c-cold a-a-a-a-and a l-l-little tired." Sora chattered back.  
"Gawrsh you don't look so well Sora. Maybe we should rest here in Pride Rock till you get better." Goofy said with concern.  
"Aw fiddle sticks. Now what are we going to do while we're here?" Donald complained while perching next to Sora and yawning.  
"Well, I'm going to use this to the fullest." Rika exclaimed excitedly.  
"What are we going to do?" Blythe joined in wondering as well in excitement, as to what fun adventure was awaiting them.  
"A cat nap." Rika smiled and pranced over to Sora and Donald and lied down next to the two of them.  
"I suppose that's what cats do best." Axel languidly walked over to Sora, Rika and Donald and laid next to them.  
"We're not cats though. What should we do?" Goofy asked unsure of what was happening, to Blythe.  
"We might as well take a regular old nap." Rika and Goofy went to sleep next to everyone else, though Blythe was starting to realize how awkward it was to be in a cave filled with her natural enemies; the predators.  
"I'm sorry to ask this of you Blythe, but I'm afraid you, Goofy and Donald should go sleep outside of here. It's just not part of the usual customs. It doesn't fit in with the circle of life." Simba was in front of them all and took pity on Blythe and the rest; however he really didn't have any other idea of how to put it.  
"What do you mean sleep outside? They're just like me and you! - is probably what Sora would say." Rika had gotten up and walked over to Simba.  
"I'm sorry but it's just not right!" Simba walked angrily back. "Please leave."  
He remarked as he made his way back to Nala who was shaking her head in disagreement with her husband's choice.  
"Does this include me?" Rika asked not sure if he cares about leopards in the mix with lions.  
"Probably doesn't matter as much as prey and predators." Blythe retorted.  
"Sorry Blythe." Rika whispered as she watched her friend, Donald and Goofy walk out of the cave. Rika went next to Sora and leaned on him trying to warm up the shivering Sora. Axel was on the other side of Sora with his feet kicking in the air from what must have been a very action packed dream.  
"I'll have to kick Simba's ass in the morning when I'm no longer tired, and Sora's feeling better." Rika mumbled to herself as she fell asleep.

****

"It sure is cold out here. I sure hope Sora's okay in there." Goofy said from his shell.  
"Aw, who cares! We're the ones outside." Donald added grumpily.  
"You guys!" Blythe warned though already half asleep. "Just try to get some sleep we'll deal with it in the morning."  
"So much for being a zebra." Donald added in. Soon enough, Donald had a hoof in his face.


	20. Controlled?

Blythe awoke during the night, feeling slightly disheveled. Blinking, her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her. It took her a minute of sorting her thoughts before she realized someone was poking her. Swinging her head down, her vision finally focused on a small meerkat and warthog standing in front of her.  
"Timon? Pumbaa? What are you guys doing here?"  
"Heard Simba kicked you out." Timon whispered. "He kicked us out too." Blythe sat up straighter.  
"But you're his best friends!" She exclaimed quietly, rousing Donald and Goofy.  
"Whatsgoingon?" Donald mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.  
"Timon and Pumbaa are here." Blythe answered. Donald's half closed lids snapped open.  
"What are you guys doing here?" He asked.  
"Simba kicked us out too." Timon answered. "We were wondering if you guys wanted to go back to Hakuna Matata with us. It's at least sheltered and warm there."  
"Hakuna Awhata?" Donald quacked questioningly.  
"Hakuna Matata- it means no worries." Pumbaa explained.  
"Sounds great. I'm sure Rika and Sora won't miss us." Blythe said, standing up. She lightly tapped on Goofy's shell with her front hoof.  
"Gawrsh guys what's going on?" He asked as he awoke, staring at them blearily.  
"We're going to Hakuna Matata for the night." Blythe told him. Goofy immediately brightened.  
"Gee that's great! It's freezing out here!" Standing up, the three companions followed Timon and Pumbaa to their jungle paradise.

****  
"Are we there yet?" Donald complained. Light had not risen yet, so they were basically walking using only the light of the moon and stars.  
"Not yet, but we should be there in a WAHHHHH!" Timon screamed, as the ground crumbled away from beneath them.  
"AHHHH!" Blythe, Donald and Goofy screamed, trying to make their animal limbs grab a hold of something. Donald managed to flap his wings, but Blythe, Goofy, Timon and Pumbaa hit the unforgiving rapids below. Blythe thrashed her four, now hailed as useless legs to try and keep her head above water. She felt a small hand grasp her neck.  
"I've got ya Blythe! Pumbaa grab Goofy!" After an enormous struggle, the four managed to link together.  
"Donald! Get help!" Blythe hollered up at the duck who was hovering above them with a distressed look on his face.  
"Okay!" He said, flapping his wings to their maximum speed and quickly disappeared from view.  
"Uh Blythe?" Timon said, as the rapids swung him around.  
"What Timon?" Blythe gasped, trying to find the ground so she could slow their trek down the rapids.  
"He's not going to get back in time!" He moaned.  
"Why? He left and he was flying pretty quick, I mean-" Blythe's eyes zeroed in on Timon's point. They were about to go over a huge waterfall. "DAMN IT!" She swore, kicking her legs furiously.  
"It's no use!" Timon groaned. "We're going over!" Blythe lashed out her hooves, desperately trying to grip onto something to pull them out. With a sinking sentiment, she realized she had failed. Using the last of their voice boxes, they hollered for help as they went over the falls.

*****  
It was light when Sora opened his eyes. He felt exceptionally better from his restful night's sleep next to Rika, Sora, Axel, Simba, Nala and Kiara. Stretching, he knocked Axel on the head to wake him up. Snorting, Axel cracked one eye open.  
"What do ya want doorknob?" He demanded.  
"We have to go and find Blythe, Donald and Goofy." Sora answered.  
"Why didn't you wake up Rika?" Axel enquired hotly.  
"That's your job." Sora responded, rolling over, noting that Simba, Nala and Kiara were already awake. He stretched again, before exiting Pride Rock. He immediately sat beside Simba, who was sitting at the edge, looking out at his kingdom tersely.  
"Is everything okay Simba?" He asked.  
"I don't know." Simba said, not taking his eyes off the plains.  
"What do you mean?" Sora asked. Simba turned to him, his eyes sad.  
"Sora, last night your friends were kidnapped." Sora's blood ran cold.  
"Wha, what?" He stammered out, racing to the edge of Pride Rock to scan the plains. There was no sign of a zebra, a duck and a turtle. He turned to Simba, resentment flaring up in him. "What happened to them?" Simba looked distressed.  
"I don't know! They took Timon and Pumbaa too!"  
"Do you have ANY idea who could have taken them?" Simba turned his penetrating gaze to Sora.  
"I think Zira took them." He said, just as Rika and Axel came out of the cave. Axel looked highly disgruntled.  
"Wassup?" Rika asked, plopping herself on the other side of Simba.  
"Blythe, Donald and Goofy have been kidnapped." Sora said steadily, fighting to keep his voice calm. Rika's eyes narrowed when she turned to face Simba.  
"Who?" She asked, her voice like cool steel.  
"I think it was Zira." Simba replied.  
"Who the heck is Zira?" Rika asked harshly.  
"She's an outlander that lives on the outskirts of the Pridelands. She's quite a suspicious character." Simba answered.  
"Well, come on then kingy. It's your fault they were out there defenseless, so you're coming with us." Rika stated coldly, turning to leap down the steps of Pride Rock. She was obediently followed.

*****  
The light was bright. Too bright. Blythe blinked as she forced her heavy eyelids to open. The first thing that focussed in her vision was a small piece of sandstone seated on a bank of dark dirt. She tried to sit up, but the pain in her head proved to be too unbearable. Yet, a sense of elation swelled up in her. She had survived! Suddenly, the memory of her other companions hit her head.  
"Goofy? Timon? Pumbaa?" She croaked out, her mouth tasting extremely metallic.  
"Blythe?" Came the raspy reply. It sounded like Goofy.  
"Goofy?" She asked, raising her heavy head.  
"Yup. Timon and Pumbaa are alive too." Blythe let out a sigh of relief.  
"Are you alright?"  
"My shell cracked." Goofy groaned. "Gawrsh, I wonder what happens when I turn back to normal. Are you okay?"  
"I think so." Blythe answered gingerly, rolling on her front hooves. As soon as she attempted to stand, she realized that half her body was still in the water. Carefully, she moved her back legs. They stretched out and touched the mushy ground of the lake. Blythe let out another sigh of relief. She seemed to be in one piece. Grimacing, she dragged herself out of the water and into a standing position. She swung her head, seeing Timon, Pumbaa and Goofy lying on the shore next to each other. Pumbaa was snoring on his back, Timon was dramatically holding a flower and Goofy was wiggling helpless on his back. Sighing, Blythe went over to her friend and turned him over.  
"Thanks Blythe!" Goofy said gratefully, turning his head to inspect his cracked shell. Blythe then went over to Timon and Pumbaa and nudged them with her hoof. Snorting, Pumbaa regained consciousness.  
"Blythe! You're okay!" Timon said joyfully.  
"Thanks for dragging me out of the river guys." She said sarcastically.  
"We tried, but Goofy was pretty much helpless rolling around on his back. You were too heavy for just the two of us to drag out. But, we got you half out!"  
"It was the least we could do for breaking all our falls!" Pumbaa said cheerfully. "If you hadn't been a zebra and your size, we would have all hit the water, but instead of hitting the water, we hit you, then the water!" Blythe groaned, resisting the urge to kick them.  
"Okay, we have to take care of each other. Is there any plants and fresh water around here? Some sap for Goofy's shell would also help a lot too."  
"Alrighty then!" Timon declared, jumping on Pumbaa's back. "Follow me!"

****  
It had been three days since Blythe, Timon, Pumbaa, Donald and Goofy had disappeared. Rika, Sora, Axel and Simba had plodded on relentlessly since then, only stopping to eat and rest. Rika had given Simba the cold shoulder the entire time, blaming him for the trouble her best friend had been dragged into.  
"This is her territory." Simba announced, as they entered a dusty bare field, with bones scattered around.  
"This looks like the Elephant Graveyard." Sora observed. Simba nodded.  
"It's basically the miscellaneous graveyard. A little bit of everything here in the Outlands." Sora turned to Simba.  
"Outlands?"  
"Outsiders. They were followers of Scar." Sora spun around towards Rika.  
"This is it! This is the only group that would even dare to kidnap them!"  
"Good." Rika snarled, her hackles rising. "Let's get 'em!" And with that, she started to run towards the tall, dark cave that rested in the middle of the Outlands. Sora and Axel followed. It took a minute before Sora realized that Simba was not following them. He turned, mystified.  
"Simba?"  
"It's not a good idea for me to go in there." Simba explained, pacing outside. "I'll cover the perimeters." Sora nodded, understanding, before taking off after Rika and Axel.

*****

"Too fast, too fast, too fassstttt!" Timon screamed as he clung tightly onto Blythe's stiff mane. Blythe could hardly care about Timon's complaints. It was so much more fun to run with four legs then with only two. It had been three days since they'd left Pride Rock. Blythe felt like she had fully recovered from her injuries, but they were still waiting for Goofy's shell to become more bearably painful. Blythe flew over a jump, sides heaving in elation.  
"That was awesome!" She exclaimed, prancing around happily.  
"I think you've been a zebra too long." Timon quipped sarcastically. "Now can you please kneel so I can get down?" Obediently, Blythe kneeled and Timon hopped off.  
"Do you think Goofy's ready to go yet?" She asked Timon. Timon shrugged.  
"He and Pumbaa were down at the watering hole. Let's go and see."

****  
"ARGH!" Rika roared, attacking the nearest lion. Sora and Axel jumped into to fight as well, but as soon as they started, Rika stopped.  
"Rika!" Sora exclaimed, fending off the lion that was his opponent. But Rika was sitting very still.  
"They didn't do it." She said softly. "Their scent doesn't match."  
"Ah!" Sora shouted as he bit another lion. "Who did it then?"  
"The scent there…I thought it was just because he was there…Sora, it was Simba! He kicked them out! He kidnapped them!"  
"Simba would never do that!" Sora roared, rolling down a hill with a cub that had just tackled him from behind. The entire cave fell silent once Simba's name was mentioned. Sora looked at Axel.  
"Crap." Axel muttered, backing away. Looking at each other, the three cubs fled the cave, knowing to fight was futile.  
"We're doing a lot of running." Rika stated grumpily.  
"You'd rather fight?" Sora demanded, crouching behind a thick patch of grass. Axel and Rika joined him.  
"Rika, what was your theory about Simba?" Axel asked quietly, not moving as the outsider lions fled.  
"Think about it. He didn't kick Blythe, Donald and Goofy out that one night, and he's never kicked Timon and Pumbaa out before."  
"He never said he kicked out Timon and Pumbaa." Sora reminded her.  
"He obviously did- it's not like they snuck in." Rika snapped softly.  
"Okay hypothetically he kicked out Timon and Pumbaa-"  
"And kidnapped them and did something with them that would make them die. And Simba just sent us in here to our deaths!" Rika whispered. Sora shook his head. He refused to believe Simba, one of his good friends, not to mention that king of the Pridelands would commit such an atrocious act. But it made sense- since Simba was nowhere to be seen at the moment.  
"He must be being controlled." Sora whispered fiercely.  
"Doesn't matter." Rika whispered back. "We have to stop him."  
"Sora! Rika! Axel!" A voice quacked from over head.  
"Donald!" Sora cried happily. Donald landed and crouched behind the grass with them.  
"Simba kicked out Timon and Pumbaa and they asked us if we wanted to go to Hakuna Matata with them. So we did and we fell into a huge rapid! Goofy and the others need help!" Rika looked at Sora.  
"Simba must have somehow caused them to fall into the water." She gritted out, before running out into the open as fast as her little leopard legs could carry her. Sora and Axel barreled after her, praying the outsiders wouldn't find them now. And that their friends were safe.


	21. Reunite

"You know, I think my shell has healed." Goofy slowly walked in a tight circle attempting to look at his back shell.

"You're right, that means we're all perfectly fine now." Blythe replied happily while looking around at her surroundings. "I would say let's head back, however where exactly is back?" Blythe started to look around in a less composed way.

****

"Damn it! Why can't they at least give a sign of where they are?!" Sora pounded the ground dramatically with his paw. Rika stood tall and looked down at him, "Shut. Up." Rika said darkly, while staring at him in one of his weak moments.

"Rika! The kid's having a hard time! You can just leave him by himself." Axel said rather nonchalantly towards the end of his sentence.

"He pities himself and it's frustrating." Rika spat right beside Sora. "It's disgusting to have to watch and hear as well." Sora looked up at Rika in anger.

"What do you mean I pity myself?! I'm just worried about my friends!" Sora roared back at Rika. They were standing opposite of each other. The cold, brisk wind blew harshly against them in the dark, starlight, night. Rika and Sora, blended into the darkness, all you could see were two pairs of glowing, bright yellow eyes that pierced through the darkness.

"You feel guilty that you can't find your friends! You feel like you're letting them down!" Rika roared back, yet within every word she spoke she could see Sora lose more and more of his fighting spirit.

"Well what am I supposed to do?" Sora whispered almost to himself, bowing his head in shame.

"Nothing's going right. And worse of all it might have been one of our friends who did it. I just, I don't want to have to think something like that!" Sora was quarreling with himself whether to believe Simba had done it or not.

"Hey Rika. I don't think we're talking with the usual Sora we know." Axel added into the conversation sarcastically.

"Wherever did he go?" Rika laughed quietly. Sora looked up at Rika with a bit of shock. He smiled to himself that Rika was finally starting to show some emotions. It was a sincere, honest and pure laugh, one which she hadn't shown before.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks guys!" Sora yelled into the night sky, in appreciation towards his friends.

"So what should we do leader?" Rika asked. She felt a little regret in calling him leader. She still thought she'd make a more suitable leader.

"Why's he leader?!" Donald protested.

"Would you be quiet?" Axel said furiously and smacked Donald in the head. IT wasn't hard to tell the moment had been ruined, the moment of Rika and Sora being closer friends had past.

"Simba most definitely didn't do it. At least he didn't do it purposely, wanting to hurt them or us. Someone must be blackmailing him! There's no other way!" Sora announced loudly to everyone, showing his resolution to his thoughts.

"Alright genius, where do we go now?" Sora stared blankly back at Axel thinking of a way to answer his question. Everyone went to look at Donald.

"Bah, you just have to follow me." Donald started flying straight. After an hour or so in going in a complete circle everyone stopped.

"What the heck was the point on you getting help if you don't even know where they are?!" Rika yelled, baring her fangs unconsciously.

"I know where they are!" Donald protested. Everyone looked at Donald waiting to here where exactly they were. "What?" He replied with, looking towards their angry stares.

"Well where are they?! Spit it out you stupid duck!" Rika yelled. She couldn't help but think they've wasted too much time.

"By a waterfall of course." Donald replied smugly.

"And where is that?" Axel asked as kindly as he could however resentment was hinted throughout every syllable he enunciated.

"Aaaaw." Donald stopped to think however nothing came to him.

"I'll kill you, you stupid, stupid bird!" Rika yelled as she pounced forward onto Donald. Rika had pounced right off the path and into the tall grass, the both of them disappearing from everyone's sight.

"Rika!" Axel and Sora yelled in worry.

"Where are you?" Sora yelled as loudly as he could though the grass was tall and he could only find Donald.

"Are you alright Donald?" Sora asked.

"This is madness! What did I do?" Donald questioned angrily.

"Donald." Sora said disappointedly.

"Alright, she went over there." Donald pointed with one of his fluffy white wings.

"Rika!" Axel yelled once he heard what sounded like Rika, despite that all he could hear were mumbles.

"So you saw them?" Axel, Sora and Donald all could hear Rika now and ran towards her voice, afraid of who she was with.

"Yeah, they attacked my home! Anyone who does that has to pay a price." Kovu hissed 'price' menacingly.

"Heh, why don't you bite me?" Rika mocked with a wide grin on her face.

"RI-ka…" Axel and Sora said at first in excitement. Once all three of them were out they looked at Rika in distaste.

"Rika, do you find that you're ever insane?" Axel taunted.

"Your smile is kind of….creepy." Sora said, being taken back a bit. When she smiled so happily that she might get into a fight, all her fangs were revealed through a therefore creepy smile, as well as her eyes started to glisten in the happiness she was experiencing. Soon enough the two cubs were in a battle. A cloud of dust enveloped the two, creating Sora and Axel to sprint into it. All that Donald could hear were noises of pain until he saw Sora and Axel dragging out a lion cub.

"Hey, bring him back here!" Rika roared, not feeling content with her prey being stolen from her.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked with concern to the stranger.

"I'm fine, but are you sure she is?" He said in a daze, Sora and Axel looking at each other not sure if he was totally conscious. The cub was even swaying a bit.

"Kovu's fine~" Rika said reassuringly.

"Kovu?" Sora asked, and then after a moment realized it was the lion cub's name.

"So much for leader." Axel criticized Sora.

"Hey dude! Where are our friends?" Rika interrogated.

"Near our home I guess." Kovu said with a lopsided grin.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Axel asked unsurely.

"I beat him up! Of course he wouldn't dare disobey me!" Rika laughed to herself.

"I don't know… he seems pretty crazy to me." Axel countered.

"You'll let him lead but not me?!" Donald asked furiously.

"Show us the way Kovu." Sora insisted, while ignoring Donald's tantrum.

"It's right over here!" Kovu said happily and pranced along, back to his home.

"Well what do you think guys?!" Kouv yelled then turned around a bit too quickly while flopping over.

"What have you done?!" A grown, female lion came walking up to Kovu and looked down at him. "My poor, dear child." She used a paw to tug on his tail and dragged him closer to her.

"Mother! HI!!" A scrawny looking lion was bouncing his way up to her, fleas flying off of him everywhere, and scrawny looking black main. "I went looking around and I found this bone which still had…MEAT!" He said excitingly. "So I picked it up and decided to bring it straight back to you!" He looked proudly towards his mother, who wasn't responding. She was just hovering over Kovu, yet to look up. "Mother?" He questioned happily.

"You…..were supposed to be watching him!!" She yelled, mightier then any other lion around. Her son doubled back in fear, while another tiny and just as scrawny lion cub appeared.

"Heh, I knew you were going to get in trouble." The tiny cub had a gravely male sounding voice. The mother lion grabbed Kovu into her mouth, and walked off past her son in a dangerously silent way.

"Gee, I sure hope he's okay."

"Shhh Goofy! You're going to get us caught!" Sora whispered to Gooyfy who was beside him. "Wait…Goofy?!" Sora yelled as quietly as he could.

"Boo!" Blythe yelled into Rika's ear.

"Aaaah." Rika said unemotionally. "You have scared me." Rika continued robotically.

"I would poke you if I had fingers." Blythe replied threateningly. "Just you wait, just you wait." Blythe went on unrelentingly.

"What happened to you?" Rika asked ignoring the group huddle Sora, Goofy and Donald were sharing, Blythe's remark and knowing Axel was ready to actually try and scare her by sneaking up on her.

"You had NO idea." Blythe began telling her story. Rika moved to the left and let Axel fall straight into Sora's, Donald and Goofy's group hug. All of them on the floor looked up at Rika who was listening to Blythe's story. Resulting in the group of them to listen  
to Blythe's explanation as well.

****

"After Simba kicked us out, we went and curled up by the base of Pride Rock. We were joined by Timon and Pumbaa, who asked if we wanted to go to Hakuna Matata- their old home before they came to live with Simba at Pride Rock. We met Timon's family. It was nice."

"What happened Blythe?" Rika asked patiently.

"I'm getting there. So, we were walking down this huge crevice, and it was really dark out. The possible explanation would be that we didn't see the edge and fell, but...it was like the edge fell with us, as if someone had personally weakened it. So, we fell into the rapids and sent Donald for help, even thought we all knew he wouldn't make it back in time. So, we went over the waterfall. When I came to, we were all banged up pretty badly. We decided that rest was necessary to continue the journey." Blythe finished, shrugging. "When we were finally able to, we left Hakuna Matata and tried to find you guys. We ran into those losers up there, and had to fight them off. But there were too many of them, so we're hiding here."

"Who do you think loosened the ground Blythe?" Rika asked.

"Whoever it was, they were trying to kill us." Blythe answered grimly. "If it hadn't been for…sheer luck, we would have all died from that fall." Rika turned to Sora.

"It's just like us! Simba brought us here to die, I mean, to be attacked and actually fight all those lions would be suicide."

"I know." Sora agreed, although he desperately didn't want to believe her. "We should go back to Pride Rock, and confront Simba."

"Whoa whoa whoa! If you're gonna be confronting our boy, we're going to have to come with you!" Timon announced. Donald promptly clapped a wing over his mouth.

"Shuddup you numbskull!" He hissed. Timon shrugged off Donald's wing and gracefully climbed onto Blythe's back.

"Onward men!" He whispered. The party quietly snuck out of the Outsider's territory. It wasn't hard, for after all, it sounded like some sort of evil musical was going on in there.

****

"Timon, why are you riding Blythe?" Pumbaa asked sadly, as they exited Outsider Territory.

"Because Pumbaa, I think riding a zebra makes me look more knightly. Don't worry buddy, I'm not replacing you." Timon responded, hanging on to Blythe's bristly mane.

"That's true…" Pumbaa observed, looking slightly happier.

"Onward men!" Tom shouted again, pointing a dry stick he had found on the ground in the air like a sword.

"Ahem." Blythe said. "Just because your riding me, doesn't mean that I don't exist! Don't forget about Rika too…"

"Ah…very well then! Onward good men and women!" Timon shouted again, waving his stick in the air. Rika let out a huff, and looked at Axel. His expression mirrored hers, causing her to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Sora demanded, from up front.

"Nothing pipsqueak." Rika jeered at him. Sighing, Sora turned his head towards the front.

"Are we there yet?" He demanded. Blythe sighed.

"No Sora." She replied. "But you can see it up ahead." She tossed her striped face towards Pride Rock, just barely visible up ahead. Her hooves clapped on the dry ground underneath them. Timon had fallen strangely silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was serious and grave.

"This is where it all began." He whispered. "This is where I was born. This is where the world welcomed a hero beyond all expectations!" Rika, Sora, Axel, Donald and Goofy glanced at each other and rolled their eyes at Timon's continuous ranting.

"Timon…" Blythe began kindly, but was cut off by Timon starting to sob.

"I'm sorry…when I think of those days…I just…get a little emotional, ya know?"

"Yes Timon, but could you-"

"This is where I was inspired! This is where I was not accepted! And do you know what I did about that? I went off on my own to find my own place! And by God I succeeded!"

"TIMON!" Blythe snapped. "Cut the dramatics." Timon looked forlorn.

"You don't want to hear my life's story?"

"Timon, I'm sure you have a very interesting life story but-"

"Then I shall tell it! A long time ago…a meerkat was born to a courageous hyena fighter and a kindly female…"

****

"And then, I courageously went over the waterfall for a third time, where I pulled Blythe out of the water and took care of them all by myself."

"Oh. What I beautiful story Timon!" Pumbaa cried.

"I know Pumbaa I know." Timon replied, laying back on Blythe's back. Blythe blew out a sigh. Finally he had finished his 'life's story.' She looked up at Pride Rock. At least it was closer. Timon's story had done some good. They had picked up their pace, in hope to reach Pride Rock before Timon finished his story. As the party approached Pride Rock, Blythe, Goofy and Donald stopped.

"Why'd ya guys stop?" Rika demanded, stopping beside them.

"Predator and Prey relationship." Donald recited.

"Oh come on guys! You know Simba! He won't eat you!" Sora exclaimed.

"The REAL Simba." Donald quipped.

"We'll wait down here. And we won't go wandering off this time." Blythe promised.

"And we're coming because he's our best friend and sonny- thing." Timon announced. Glancing at each other and nodding, Rika, Axel and Sora started to climb Pride Rock, followed cautiously by Timon and Pumbaa.


	22. Something Worth Fighting For

"Simba!" Rika roared ferociously at Simba who was standing at the exact same spot where he had once tossed his uncle Scar off to his death.

"OH? You're alright?" Simba asked with a smile, which disgusted Sora, causing him to run forward towards Simba.

"Simba what's happened to you? You're our friend! Why are you trying to kill us?" Simba grinned maliciously.

"Friend? Simba? I don't think I can count as being either one of those ANYMORE!" Simba raised his paw and slammed down, harshly onto Sora causing him to fly across the rocky ground.

"Sora!" Rika, Timon and Pumbaa yelled.

"Why I oughta!" Timon yelled, "Charge!" Timon pointed as Pumbaa charged forward, and was tossed aside even harder by Simba's mighty strength. They slammed harshly against a rock, resulting in their unconsciousness.

"Timon, Pumbaa!" Rika yelled to them, showing a more frightful and cowardly side. Rika's voice high-pitched and more feminine then usual. "I don't want to be alone again…" She whispered having horrifying flash backs to the children massacred in front of her very eyes.

"Child, why are you so sad? If you came to our side, we could make anything that you wish for come true." Rika looked up at Simba while her whole body was shaking with fear and anger.

"Bring people back from the dead?" Rika asked, knowing she shouldn't have asked that question.

"Even bring people back from the dead." Simba circled around Rika. Rika's eyes darted around the ground thinking of what she should do.

"Rika what are you fighting for?!" Rika looked to where Sora had fallen. He was up on all four paws with his fur standing on its end. Sora was furious. "You fight for the DEAD, you live for the LIVING!" Sora was trying hard to make Rika return back to the ethical side of things. Rika thought over his statement, not sure of what Sora was saying though nevertheless interpreted it her own way.

"That's right…" she whispered with her eyes closed, opening them instantaneously revealing her red eye and light blue one. Sora doubled back at first in fright but then realized her eyes were somehow different this time. No longer her eyes glowing mysteriously, however has this time as if she had regained her luster, eyes bright with resolution.

"I have to fight strongly, act strongly, like I always have!" Rika announced loudly towards Simba. Faces flashed through Rika's head, except not just the murdered children, Blythe, Axel, Donald, Goofy and lastly Sora's face flashed through her mind. "I'm not perfect, but everything I do is for a reason. Today I will take you down for the sake of YOUR pack! Prepare for battle!" Rika yelled towards Sora. Simba scowled and got in his own fighting position. Sora's keyblade named Oblivion had formed. It was a black, and razor sharp looking keyblade which he carried in his mouth. Sora blasted forward, slashing Simba on the side. Simba roared in agony and swiped away Sora's keyblade, causing it slide with a clatter to the opposing side where Rika was. She smacked one end of the keyblade with her paw. It went flipping forward towards Simba, distracting him from both Rika and Sora. She took this chance to pounce forward, quickly forming her own keyblade, spun in the air to gain momentum, and then slammed down on Simba with her keyblade. Meanwhile Sora leapt into the air, caught his keyblade with his teeth, and the sun blazing behind him. His body illuminated by the sun, he shined down on Simba, as he darted down creating the finishing blow towards Simba's head. Simba collapsed unconscious.

"Now what?" Sora puffed, still getting used to his keyblade since they hadn't done much fighting in a while. Rika was tempted to tease him about him being unfit, however smiled instead at the sight of something interesting to do.

"Now we extract whatever possesses him of course." Rika found herself not sure if she was to be happy or sad of her past, of where it had brought her. However she was prepared to move on until she had avenged the dead children she had once known. She felt something inside her had changed, she felt for the first time since she was small happy of where she was and who she was with.

"Of course." Sora said unsurely. "And how do we do that?" He asked inching towards Simba.

"With your keyblade." Rika looked back at him incredulously. "It can unlock anything right? It unlocked you from whatever went on with your heart. So why can't it help Simba regain his?" Sora thought it over and agreed it made sense, he brought out his keyblade.

"If you're wrong?" Sora asked not quite sure if he was willing to take the risk.

"It's better than doing nothing." Rika thought back to the kids, regretting how much had gone on in one day to remember a past filled with pain.

"Here it goes then." Sora raised his keyblade filled with courage and hope; he truly believed Simba would come back to them. Sora prepared himself, flipped his key blade in the air, caught it in the opposite hand and swirled it behind his back and then into the original hand it came from and pointed his keyblade towards Simba. "Simba!" Sora yelled as he twisted his keyblade, and hearing something unlock. A green heart flew out of Simba and dissolved once it hit the glowing sun's light.

"Maleficent." Sora whispered in despair. Rika's eyes burrowed thinking of how everyone has so many worries.

"You just HAD to show off your supposed keyblade skills didn't you?" Rika teased Sora.

"What do you mean supposed? My skills are pro!" Sora complained back at Rika, assured that once Simba woke up, it would definitely be Simba again.

"That's what you think." Rika smirked. "Let's face it, none can beat my skills." Rika, did a pretend evil laugh, convincing enough, however clearly playing around.

"MUHAHAHAHA." Sora and Rika looked forward at Blythe who was laughing in response to Rika's laugh while trotting up the rocky path along with Donald and Goofy.

"Blythe!" Rika exclaimed happily, prancing over to Rika, slowing down due to becoming a bit tipsy. She regained herself and started pawing viciously at one of Blythe's legs. "You're late!" Rika complained.

"What's gotten into you?" Axel asked looking over at Rika who appeared to be in an oddly playful mood.

"She's either sleepy or hungry." Blythe replied looking down at Rika whose eyes were turning back to their normal colour.

"It seems she's sleepy." Axel commented at Rika who had toppled over and fallen asleep.

"Just let her sleep there, we have to make sure Timon, Pumbaa and Simba are alright!" Sora said loudly. Everyone went around checking up on them, unsure of when they would awaken.

****

"Timon..." Sora said, tapping the small meerkat on the head with his paw. "Are you okay?"

"Ugghh...." Timon moaned into the thin layer of sand. He spent a few minutes blinking stupidly at nothing, before snapping upwards into a karate chop position.

"Alright, here's Timon! Get ready to lose!" He hollered, glancing around him, looking for the threat. Sora laughed.

"Relax Timon. The fight's over."

"Well it's a good thing then. I might have gone a little too hard on Simba if I had been in the fight..." Sora rolled his eyes.

"Sure Timon. Come on Pumbaa, wake up." Pumbaa didn't move.

"Pumbaa, are you alright?" Blythe asked, as she came to stand beside Sora. Pumba still didn't move. Panic seized Sora, as he quickly glanced over Pumbaa's motionless form. Were his legs at a funny angle? Before he could say anything, Timon jumped forward, sobbing.

"Oh Pumbaa! No! Where's that stupid lion? I swear I'm going to KILL him!"

"Timon wait, don't!" Sora yelped, grabbing Timon's tail as he jumped at Simba's sleeping form. Timon ran uselessly on the spot, held back my Sora's firm grip on his tail.

"Let me at him, let me at him!" Timon shouted.

"Timon stop! This isn't going to-" Suddenly a huge snore erupted from behind them. Timon stopped running and he and Sora slowly turned around, revealing Pumbaa snoring loudly, with his back leg twitching. Timon's face turned a surprising shade of red and jumped at Pumbaa, his tiny fists beating the warthog's enormous belly.

"WAKE UP YOU STUPID LUG!" He hollered. Blythe stifled a laugh, but Sora, Goofy, Donald, Rika and Axel howled with laughter. After five minutes of Timon assaulting Pumbaa's stomach, the warthog snorted and lazily opened one eye.

"Wasn't me." He mumbled, before closing it again. Overcome with frustration, Timon seized Pumbaa's eyelids and yanked them open.

"WAKE UP!" He yelled, sticking his face as close as possible in Pumbaa's eyes. Pumbaa blearily opened both his eyes. Sora had a feeling he was used to this kind of drama.

"What is it Timon?" He asked.

"We thought you were dead!" Timon seethed.

"Well Timon, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and I'm still recovering from that one night when we fell off a waterfall..." The entire group burst out laughing, forgetting, for an instance the huge lion lying down beside them.

****

"I guess this is goodbye." Sora said sadly.

"Yeah. Look, Sora, about...trying to kill you..." Simba stared uncomfortably.

"Don't worry about it Simba." Sora reassured him. "You couldn't help it."

"Yeah Simba, Sora can get pretty annoying at times." Rika cracked, high fiving, or 'paw' Axel as he cracked up too.

"Guys can we go? We've already been here too long!" Blythe called from the top of the Gummi Ship, already in her human form. Everyone nodded, and climbed into the Gummi Ship, turning into their regular forms as they passed the door. Sora gazed across the Pridelands, a sense of sadness filling him that their time in the Pridelands was over.

"Wait!" A voice called. Sora looked around, looking down and then side to side.

"Up here!" The voice taunted. Everyone's head shot up to see a baboon hanging from the upper door frame of the Gummi Ship.

"Rafikki." Simba said sternly. Rafikki turned and wagged his finger at Simba.

"Information is a gift young man. You wouldn't let our esteemed guests leave without a gift from helping you would you." He turned back to them. "Here is my gift to you- We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart." Everyone stared at him. Then, Rika spoke.

"And here I thought we were going to get USEFUL information." She snapped. "Go away monkey, we gotta go." Laughing hysterically, Rafikki leaped off the door frame and out of sight. Glancing at each other, they waved goodbye to Simba once more before Goofy pressed the button that shut the door. Blythe resumed control of the ship, ignoring Sora's protests and pressed the button combination that started up the Gummi Ship. Shifting the controls, the Gummi Ship lifted off the ground and shot off into space.

***

AN: It's official we finally finished the ENTIRE story. We're still organizing it, but it should be around 50 chapters . There will most likely be a sequel, but we're not 100% sure yet. Leave your comments about the sequel by reviewing. Thxs!

~C.D.F


	23. A New World

"Hmmmm..... You know, I'd say let's go back worlds we've already visited however I honestly don't know where we are even." voiced Rika blankly looking out the window mindlessly.

"Perhaps we should start making a map, or journal of some sort." Blythe retorted, looking back at Sora to see what he would decide.

"Sorry." Sora scratched his head in embarrassment and shame. "Jiminy used to do that for us. But once the worlds were back together he went back home to take care of Pinocchio." Sora lowered his hand and shrugged unsure of who should take the next role of recording everything.

"Whatever I'll do it. The more important thing is that there's a world right over there." Rika pointed lazily out the window with everyone attempting to see it as well.

"It's right there!" Blythe pointed excitedly out the window.

"Oooooooh." everyone said at once, once they realized where the world which lay ahead of them was.

"Well since that's over with and we know that I'm going to from now on record everything we should really land there now." Blythe said as she thrusted the throttle forward brining it straight up to the new world.

"Wait I thought Rika was recording." Sora remarked confused.

"I am going to do it! I swear!" Rika announced loudly, trying to prove she really would work hard on the paper work despite it being something she hates very much.

"I know you would, but it will be easier if I just do it." Blythe retorted landing the ship smoothly. "We're here!" Blythe yelled happily.

"I don't think we've been here before." Goofy announced being followed by Rika and Donald.

"So why are you really doing it instead of Rika?" Sora whispered.

"She'll do the work though it'll be rushed and perhaps at times not even readable to her." Blythe laughed. "She really does try though." Blythe added.

"You're talking about me aren't you?" Rika had turned around and looked at Blythe angrily. Blythe and Sora looked up realizing the world before them. Rika's background was covered with rows and rows of the greenest and freshest corn stalks with little dirt passages in between each of them.

"Are we in the country of some sort?" Blythe wondered out loud.

"I'm not sure. This isn't a world we've ever been to before." Sora replied in wonderment while looking around everywhere.

"I'm not sure where we are either however what I do know is-" Rika stopped in mid sentence. She stopped and looked forward with her eyes sharp.

"What is it?" Sora asked unsure of what to make of Rika's current actions.

"Rika!" Blythe warned.

"Rika don't you dare-" Axel was cut off as Rika sprinted off the dusty path they were on, diving into the corn stalks to the right.

"Wait! What's going on!?" Sora asked in bewilderment while watching the space where Rika had disappeared.

"She tends to drift." Blythe remarked with a sigh and Axel beside her was shaking his head over the memories of his and Rika's childhood.

"We had better go after her." Blythe sighed again and started to run off towards the direction which Rika had left towards. Sora, Goofy and Axel followed after obediently. Donald, on the other hand was whining and complaining while reluctantly following.

"Bah, we should just leave that lunatic!" Donald complained, just wanting to rest.

"Don't worry Donald, she always finds something good when she runs off on a whim." Blythe reassured Donald while thinking of the time Rika had found her on one of her whims.

"Will she find a jewel?" Donald asked with thoughts of money and priceless artifacts float around in his head.

"Perhaps." Blythe said hoping for him to relax a bit more.

"Do you really think she would be this far out though?" Sor asked as they started to walk through a dimly lit and foggy forest. Tree roots were sticking up all over the place and no matter where they loomed the dreary forest all looked the same.

"Wow, look at that tree!" Blythe remarked in aw. Right by a muggy looking grey marsh there was a giant willow tree.

"And there she is." Remarked Axel as everyone saw her sitting on giant tree stump in front of the tree and talking to what appeared to be herself.

"Gawrsh who do you suppose she's talking to?" Goofy asked.

"One way to find out!" Blythe shouted as she ran towards Rika with everyone yet again following Blythe's lead.

"What the-?" Axel questioned as he looked towards Rika and what appeared to be the willow talking. A swirl in the middle of the tree's stem foarmed a face which resembled that of an old lady, which was having a conversation with Rika at the moment. upon seeing this Sora tumbled over in astonishmet and utter shock.

"Oh ho ho. Don't be frightened dear." the old tree chuckled in a shaky yet strong and mischievous voice. A vine popped into life and pushed Sora's back motioning him to get up.

"Pocahontas, what are you doing there? Great them my child! They won't hurt you." the willow tree barked to Pocahontas. A small tanned woman with long black hair and wearing a blue jewel chained necklace.

"Hello." Pocahontas waved sadly.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked as a natural response to seeing her sadness.

"Today she went to a waterfall near here," Rika began while seeing how Pocahontas was against retelling her story. "A man with blond hair and blue grey armour came near here. He said some stuff about calling her, and her tribe savages as well as he had come in a fleet to find gold." Rika emphasized the term gold and looked back at everyone.

"They're not going to ruin this lovely place with buildings are they?" Blythe asked with hurt, especially after just recently understanding the full appreciation for rural areas.

"Yes I'm afraid they're planning on taking over her tribe's area for their own expantion of their society... And of course in hope of money. Though this is just speculation." Rika sighed. "Anyways the man and her seemed to have come to an understanding, as well as they seemed to have gotten along quite well. He promised to meet her again though her tribe is against meeting with these people they find as their enemy. Which I find is totally understandable, though nevertheless she and him want to meet again so she's feeling down about what to do. Listen to her friends and family or listen to her heart." Rika finished explain with a gasp for breath from explaining everything without obviously breathing every once in a while.

"Which brings me to say," the willow tree began while pushing Pocahontas wig another vine, "listen to your heart and let the window Gide you!" the old tree whispered lovingly to Pocahontas. A mysterious chant started to blow through the wind as Pocahontas opened her arm and let her hair run free through that wind. she opened her eyes with a resolution. She sprinted forward through the trees and out of sight.  
"

Man, you are good! She must put her at ease within an instant!" Rika remarked impressed by the old willow tree. The tree laughed and high fiver Rika with a vine.

"You betcha girl!" she yelled with spunk, happily returning Rika's compliment.

"Oh yeah, she also said we can stay here for the night. The animals are Really friendly and we are well protected thanks to the trees!" Rika said happily.

"What?! We have to stay here?!" Donald complained.

"What animals are there?" Sora included with Donald's complaint. Rika looked o er to Blythe who mouthed to give Donald treasure.

"Here's a jewel I found a while ago Donald. I don't need such possessions however Blythe requested me to give it to you. You better say thanks!" Rika roared. "And stop complaining about things as such!" Rika tossed a palm sized, blue and majestic looking gem over to Donald whose eyes were shining with delight. He muttered thanks as he lost himself in the ever glistening gem. "And Sora what are you talking about?! The animals are every where!" Everyone looked around and all of a sudden realized the plentiful fish in the pond, the birds in the trees the bunnies hopping around happily as well as a little grey and black eyed raccoon next to Rika, playing with a turquoise humming bird by grabbing it by the beak and swishing it rapidly up and down.

"These two guys are hilarious! I left the group because I saw them and just HAD to follow them due to my curiosity. Sorry about running away but it was SO worth it!" Rika smiled happily; while grabbing the raccoon and putting him on her lap.

"So are you guys okay with staying here for the night?" Everyone looked at Rika and agreed. Blythe ran towards Rika and sat next to her while taking the raccoon and petting him next.

"That raccoon is going to get annoyed." Axel warned as the humming bird and raccoon escaped to up the tree. This further intrigued Rika as she had always loved climbing trees. Axel sighed again as Rika happily made her way up the tree acting like a monkey and Blythe climbing after her.

"This is the perfect spot!" Blythe announced as the two of them sat on a thick and spacious branch looking down at everyone else.

******

AN: Okay, so chapters will probably start to be posted more frequently instead of only just once a week. We just finished putting them together. There are 48, which will take forever to finish posting. Since we read a lot of fanfiction, we know that it's easy to lose interest in something when it's been going on for too long. So, we'll post twice a week, once on Fridays, and also Saturdays. Maybe during the week as well, depending how busy we are, even though it'll probably just be weekends.

Thanks for reading, and please review

~C.D.F


	24. To Be A Spy

AN: Thank you all for your reviews! Each one was extremely supportive and let us know how to improve our story. Since we missed our upsating shedule due to projects -_-" We did a double again...so...enjoy!

"So what do you think this world is called?" Blythe asked, producing the neatly pressed journal from the leather side bag she carried.

"Uhm..."

"It's the New World child," Grandmother Willow said gently. Nodding her thanks, Blythe sat down and started flipping through the journal to find a blank page.

"Whoa! You've been to a lot of places!" She exclaimed, stories of Chinese warriors, fearsome dragons and good friends flashed before her eyes.

"Yeah." Sora said proudly. Blythe flipped to the very end, before digging through the leather bag to find some sort of writing utensil. A small indignant squeak came from the bag.

"Mousie!" Blythe said in surprise, producing the mouse box. "We forgot about you!" As if the little box understood her, it squeaked in an obnoxious fashion. "Hey! Don't give me that! You usually squeak your brains out when you want attention!" Blythe seethed at the box. The rest of the group stifled their laughter.

"What?" Blythe demanded.

"You're talking to Mousie, who can't say anything besides 'squeak!'" Axel chortled. Blythe's face turned red before she tossed Mousie at Donald. She dug through the bag again before moaning,

"Are you kidding me?"

"What?" Sora asked, when Blythe held up an ink bottle and a calligraphy pen.

"A calligraphy pen? Be serious please!"

"How far are you guys behind that you don't even have proper writing utensils?" Rika demanded, going over to Blythe and taking the pen from her, inspecting it.

"What are we supposed to write with?" Sora asked, at loss for anything else.

"Um, there's ballpoint pens, pencils..." Rika started, but drifted off when she saw the blank looks on their faces. "Oh my God! You guys are idiots!" Blythe snatched the pen from Rika.

"Until we can go back to Arrow, we're stuck with this...pen..." She said, dipping the pen in the now opened ink bottle. She carefully titled the page in a Jimny fashion- Adventure Three. She then wrote down, Destiny Islands, Disney Castle, Arrow, Radiant Gardens, Camelot, Atlantica, Deep Jungle, Hades, Pridelands, and now, The New World. "I'll add more detail when we're on the road." She announced, tucking the journal away.

"Don't forget our character profiles!" Sora reminded her. Blythe rolled her eyes, then looked at Rika, who was shaking her head.

"I...think we'll skip the character profiles for now." Blythe said, standing up.

"Now what?" Axel demanded, looking around him. "This is the most peaceful place I've ever seen."

"Not really. There's people who want to colonize it and kill the natives." Rika said, peeking out from the Willow Tree Grove.

"We should help!" Sora said, punching his fist in the air.

"But we don't have time!" Axel protested. "How long is that barrier going to hold for Paris?"

"I don't know." Sora said quietly. "But we can't just leave when we know there's a problem. What if the heartless are involved?"

"Fine." Axel relented, going over to stand beside Rika. Blythe watched the two of them confer from a second, before turning her gaze to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"There must be a way we can help!" She said. Sora's eyes brightened like they did when he had an idea.

"Those people, where did they come from?" He asked Blythe. Blythe shrugged.

"How should I know?" She demanded.

"Well...let's find out! We'll have to be spies!" Sora exclaimed.

"Oh that will so work genius. You don't know the first thing about being a spy." Rika mocked. Sora opened his mouth to argue, before Donald produced his staff.

"We'll have to use force."

"We could ask the natives..." Blythe suggested. Goofy scratched his head.

"Gawrsh. Why don't we just ask those people themselves?" Everyone looked at each other, feeling extremely stupid. Goofy obviously had the best...and the most obvious idea.

****

"Excuse me sir." Sora began, as a blond haired man clothed in a grey armour breastplate walked by him. "Whereabouts are you people from?" The man stopped, and looked at him curiously. Rika slapped her forehead in her hiding place behind the bushes with the others.

"I knew we shouldn't have sent Sora! God he sticks out like a sore thumb! But noooo no one would listen..."

"Rika, he's the only one that was guaranteed not to hurt them...and Goofy would stick out even funnier then Sora." Blythe hissed. They heard the man speak slowly.

"Are you with the natives?"

"No...just stranded here...alone..." Seething, Rika started to jump, but she was dragged back in midair by Blythe and Axel.

"Rika!"

"He's screwing it up!"

"Let's just see how this plays out-" Blythe started, before she found that she and Axel were gripping thin air.

"Rika!" She hissed. But Rika appeared about five feet away from Sora.

"Excuse me Sir, but you'll have to excuse my brother." She said in a spot on British accent. "He likes to think he has powers. We were wondering where your fine boat came from." The man grinned.

"England. You sound like a good English girl, what's your name?"

"Amelia. This here is my brother, Alfred. We were stranded here by a terrible storm. May I ask your name kind sir?"

"John Smith." The man said, tipping his hat, his blue eyes twinkling.

"You wouldn't mind if we accompanied you on your next voyage back?" Rika asked politely.

"Not at all. We're actually leaving tomorrow."

"That's perfect oh thank you!" Rika said, happiness evident in her voice, yet Blythe, Sora, Axel, Donald and Goofy knew it to be fake.

"It's no problem milady." John Smith said.

"I just have to pack a few things. Come now Alfred!" Rika said, grabbing Sora's arm and dragging him into the bushes, where the rest of the gang was hiding. As soon as they were concealed from view, everyone stared at Rika until everyone but Sora burst out in laughter.

"ALFRED?" Donald shrieked, hardly being able to breathe because he was laughing so hard.

"Why Alfred?" Sora asked Rika grumpily.

"Cause you look like one. Come on, tomorrow...we're going to England!"

"Wait what?" Sora demanded.

"I was thinking...the king would obviously want to meet us survivors. We could appeal to the king and convince him to bring back his men and free the natives!" Rika mused. Everyone stared at her again, their mouths gaping open in utter shock.

"That's a great idea Rika!" Blythe cheered. "Okay let's go back into the Gummi Ship and make them into proper english people!"

****  
"Here it is!" Blythe exclaimed, holding up the simple, yet elegant dress for Rika. Rika's eyes bugged out.

"There is no way I'm-" Her words were cut off by Blythe throwing the dress at her face.

"Put it on. Because we're going to have to do your hair after and that's going to take all night." She turned to Sora.

"Now Sora...we're going to have to wash that gel out of YOUR hair, while Donald and Goofy find you something to wear." Sora patted his hair nervously.

"This isn't gel...."

"Oh...we're going to have to cut a few centimetres off then. But not too much- remember, you've been stranded here for awhile." Blythe grabbed a bucket of water and dumped it on Sora's head.

"What the-"

"Sora...when was the last time you cut your hair?" Blythe demanded.

"Couple years ago...why?"

"When it's wet it's wayy past your shoulders." She reprimanded him, grabbing a pair of nearby scissors. "I'm going to cut it just below your shoulder."

"What?!" Sora yelped.

"Relax. You're going to have to get it cut shorter in England."

"WHAT?"

"Be quiet Sora." Blythe ordered, shearing off a chunk of hair. After five minutes, she was done.

"There...much more humane." She said, satisfied. She turned around. "Axel, your turn!"

"WHAT?" Axel demanded.

"You're going with Rika right?" Blythe asked curiously.

"Well..I don't know!"

"You are now. You need to keep her in check and Sora isn't strong enough to do that." She grabbed Axel's black sleeve and almost threw him into the chair that Sora was just occupying moments before.

"Why can't you go?" Axel demanded.

"Because my hair is weird and people aren't going to like it. Plus I have these tattoos on my arms. I think I'm better suited dealing with natives this time." She turned to Sora.

"Tell Donald and Goofy to find something for Axel to wear as well." She turned back to Axel and dumped an entire bucket of water on his head.

"That's cold!" Axel complained.

"Shut up. You need at least three times as much off as Sora did. But then again...I think men usually wore their hair in a ponytail..." Blythe muttered to herself, cutting off about ten centimetres worth of hair. Sighing, Sora turned to go and find Donald and Goofy.


	25. Voyage to England

"I think this would look extremely handsome."

"Goofy! He has been stranded on an island for awhile! He's not supposed to look prim and proper!"

"Hey guys." Sora said, entering the dressing room. He looked around.

"Where do you think Mickey gets all this stuff?" He asked.

"Oh, cause we need to go under disguise in some places." Goofy said, before turning around. As soon as he saw Sora's haircut he burst out into loud guffaws.

"What's so fu-" Donald had just turned around to see what Goofy was laughing about, and started to laugh too.

"Sora...you look like a girl!"  
"What? Oh...it'll stick up again once it dries...." Sora muttered, trying to mess up his hair a bit. But, it did nothing to quiet Donald and Goofy's laughter. "Guys be serious! I have to go to England tomorrow!" After a few minutes of desperately trying, Donald and Goofy reined in their laughter and showed Sora what they had selected for him. A shirt similar to the one he wore at Adam's castle with similar pants, except these were ruffled, torn and tan. They had even scuffed up a pair of black shoes with silver buckles for him. They also handed him a pair of dirty white socks.

"Change!" They ordered him. Sora obeyed. When he came out a few minutes later, Donald and Goofy approved him to be ship wreck friendly. Muttering to himself, Sora exited the costume place just as they started discussing outfits for Axel. As he rounded the corner, Sora had to put a hand over his mouth to try and quiet his laughter. Blythe was running a straighter through Axel's once un -tamable looking spikes.

"Nice hair Axel." Sora snickered.

"I wouldn't be laughing Sora...you're next!" She told him, waving the straightener at him. Sora felt his face go pale. His spikes!

"But-but-but-"

"Tell me Sora." Blythe said, interrupting him. "How is it that you know what a straightener is and not a pencil?"

"I don't know?" Sora said uncertainly, watching as Blythe sprayed some sort of misty stuff on Axel's hair.

"This will keep it straight for at least a week." Blythe explained. "I give some to you to take along. Whatever you do- if you end up being there for more then a week, REMEMBER TO REAPPLY IT! Your spikes will terrify the majority of the population if you don't keep them tamed. Same goes for you Sora." Blythe said, shooting him a glare. Sora nodded quickly.

"Aw man...I look like such a dolt!" Axel moaned, as Blythe messed up his hair, making it look wilder to fit the part.

"Be quiet Axel. Okay, you're done. Go to the costume room and get your clothes."

"Fine." Axel muttered, stomping off around the corner. His presence in the costume room was marked by Goofy and Donald's uncontrollable peals of laughter. A sudden thump, bang, a bunch of 'ows' and cries of pain showed how Axel dealt with it.

"Sit down Sora." Blythe commanded, dragging Sora to the seat.

"But Blythe...Kairi likes my hair spiky!" Sora protested.

"Relax Sora. It'll go back to normal in a week, except it will be a little shorter. Plus, it'll grow back after that. Now be quiet and let me do my work." Sora slumped when he felt the straighter run through his hair.

"Blythe…why can't you go instead of Axel?" Sora whined, hoping Blythe would change her mind about going.

"Because Sora, I don't look like the general population of England. My hair has no color whatsoever, my skin is tanned and I have a tattoo on my arm. I'll look more like a native to them then a fellow Englishwoman." Blythe explained impatiently. "Weren't you listening when I told Axel?"

"Yeah…but it was worth a shot." Sora mumbled. Blythe pretended not to hear him, destroying the last of his spikes and spraying the misty stuff on him.

"It smells like coconuts." Sora complained.

"Geez Sora, act more your age! I wonder how Kairi puts up with you!" Blythe said, messing his hair up to match Axel's. "There, you're done. I'm going to go and check on Rika." Patting Sora on the head, she went to knock on the door to Rika's room.

"Rika…are you done?"

"There is no way I'm wearing this in public." Rika snapped from the other side of the door. Blythe sighed.

"It was your idea Rik. Come on." Muttering curses, Rika opened the door and stepped out, wearing an olive green cotton dress, ripped at the bottom. The dress was decorated with a lighter green bow on the back, but it was frayed and muddy. Little tears and splotches of mud decorated the rest of the dress.

"Wow Rika, you look really nice." Sora complimented. Rika shot him a death glare as Blythe dragged her over to the hair dressing chair. She wrapped Rika's upper body in a plastic bag before dumping the water on her head.

"Geez Blythe!" Rika exclaimed, her head snapping back with the brush's assault on her hair.  
"Rika! When was the last time you brushed your hair?" Rika didn't reply, causing Blythe to sigh loudly. "This may take awhile."

****

"Whew." Blythe, Donald and Goofy said together. They were admiring their handiwork. Axel and Sora's hair had been straightened and messed, successfully giving the impression that they had once possessed a proper English style, but it grew out. They were dressed in loose shirts and tight pants with dirty socks that went to the knee. They both wore scuffed shoes with buckles. Rika on the other hand had not had her hair cut. She had her hair brushed, then twisted up in a messy knot. Her new hairstyle, along with her dress made her look very 'englishy'.

"You guys look great!" Goofy said, giving them the thumbs up. Sora glared at his friend.

"Alright, off to bed!" Blythe announced. "Tomorrow is the big day!" Grumbling, everyone returned to their quarters, the thought of the entire group separating heavy in their minds.

****

"Blythe.... May I have a word with you about this whole dress thing?" Rika while standing tall walked over to Blythe who looked over her work done with Rika, Sora and Axel proudly.

"Yes?" Blythe replied with a cheer.

"Please don't make me wear this!!! At least let me wear pants underneath the dress! Come one!!" Blythe started pushing Rika off towards the camp where the three of them would be boarding onto the ship to England.

"No, that would ruin it! Now come on, look and see! That blond man is waiting for you!" the man who agreed to take Rika, Sora and Axel onto the trip for England was standing near the gate waiting.

"See you soon?" Rika said timidly to Blythe.

" Yup in no time Blythe replied happily back to Rika trying to cheer her up.

"Bye bye!" Rika waved to Blythe, Donald and Goofy as she ran off towards the blond man with Sora and Axel.

"I hope you have yet to have waited too long." Rika said in her British accent.

"Dont worry you're not late I was just early." the man said with a smile while looking back at Sora and Axel.

"My, what happened to you?" The man directed at Sora's sudden change in appearance.

"And who are you?" he added while looking bewildered at Axel. "What a funny hair colour you have there." The man lifted a piece of Axels bright red hair innocently. Axel hit his hand away from his hair. "What's wrong with your hair." Axel shot back at the man who just chuckled.

"True enough." The man smiled back at Axel who was obviously disappointed with the man's reaction.

"And more importantly then that, who are you?" Axel continued haughtily.

"Oh, where are my manners. I'm John Smith. Pleased to meet you." John raised his hand awaiting a friendly greeting through a hand shake.

"Where are your manners?" Rika said angrily at Axel as she shook John's hand.

"Well it is a pleasure to meet you, we all are very grateful for you to help us like this." Rika smiled and curtsied in thanks. A horn from the ship blew loudly signalling how it was to depart soon.

"Just head onto the ship I've told them everything they need to know that will let you on."

"You are not going to England with us?" Rika said in a believable disappointment.

"I have some business still to do here." John Smith said seriously as he looked forward towards the wooded area.

"Good luck with the girl chap." Axel said in his own English accent as the three of them boarded onto the ship. John Smith looked out to them in bewilderment of them knowing he was staying behind for a woman.

"Do you think that was who Pocahontas liked?" Sora asked Rika and Axel.

"Most likely." Rika replied as the ship started to set sail. The horns were blowing load and the people on the shore cheered for the people on the sailing ship to have a good voyage. Rika, Sora and Axel went to walk towards the edge of the ship. All of the looking out onto the vast ocean. Rika leaned forward and looked at the water with delighted eyes.

"I love this." She said as she closed her eyes smiling, feeling the wind on her face.

"Yeah it's great. Sora added as he too was enjoying the vast water and wind in his hair.

"What about you Axel?" Sora asked as he and Rika went to look at Axel. His face had gone green and leaned over the edge thinking he was going to be sick.

"You, one thing I've noticed over many years is that there is usually at least one person who is sea sick on board a ship. And I always ask myself why would they possibly go on if they get this sick." Rika started to rub Axel's back in a supportive way trying to make Him feel better.

"Well now we know why they do it." Sora responded. Rika looked back at Sora thinking all they could really do is speculate why people would go on board. "Obviously because either they don't they get seas sick or in a case like this they have no choice but to go on the ship." Sora nodded at his arguement and he and Rika looked back at the ocean.

"Maybe." Rika said thinking it over.


	26. Arrival

The wind blew through Rika's tresses. She blew them out of her face as she gazed out across the horizons.

"Excuse me? Miss?" A voice said. She turned around, just barely keeping the smile on her face as she found the captain standing in front of her.

"Hello Sir," She said, discreetly kicking Sora in the leg when he started to laugh at her polite tone.

"So you are the survivors of 'The Queen?'" He asked pleasantly.

"Yes." Rika replied.

"May I ask your names?" The captain asked. Sora jumped at his chance for revenge against Rika for naming him Alfred.

"My name is Alfred. This is my older sister Amelia and her husband Isaac. Our parents died from 'The Queen' sinking." Rika and Axel's mouths fell open. It took every single ounce of control Rika possessed to not murder Sora. The captain nodded approvingly.

"Excellent. Now, I was wondering if I could offer you three services to get some new clothes and clean up a bit, for the King has offered to meet you three at the docks and he would like to extend an invitation to stay with him, in condolences for your lost family and trauma."

"That is very kind of him." Rika choked out, still not past the shock of Sora's made up story. The Captain nodded.

"Now, if you would go with the maids Miss Amelia, they'll take you to their quarters and run a bath for you to clean yourself up in. They will also supply you with new clothes. Alfred and Isaac, come with me. The barber will cut your hair and we will run a bath for you as well. You will also be supplied with new clothes." Rika, Axel and Sora nodded, before being whisked away to their stations.

****  
"How old are you Alfred?" The barber asked Sora, as he snipped his bangs. Sora had just finishing washing, and he was dressed in knee length pants, and a form fitting green jacket.

"Almost seventeen sir." Sora replied. At least that was the truth.

"Just finished classes then eh? Wait, you've been on a strange world for a few months. I guess you'll pick them up once you return?" The barber said conversationally, cutting the bottom of Sora's hair. "Do you want to keep it long or short?"

"Long." Sora said immediately. "And yes, I finish my classes this year." He added, trying to sound realistic. The barber fluffed his hair with a towel before pulling it back in a ponytail and tying it with a ribbon.

"Your hair is really straight." He commented.

"Thank you." Sora replied, wincing at the torture he had to go through to get it to be that way. His spikes!

"Alright, I'm finished now." The barber said, removing the sheet from Sora's front.

"Thank you." Sora said, exiting the room. On the way out, he nearly ran into Axel, dressed in a formal blue jacket and black knee pants. He also wore knee lengths socks and black shoes with gold buckles. His red hair had been smoothed back in a ponytail, like Sora's, except slightly longer.

"Have you seen Rika?" He asked. Sora shook his head, smirking.

"Nice outfit Axel."

"I wouldn't be talking twerp." Axel snapped, scanning the ship for Rika.

"Maybe she isn't out yet?" Sora suggested. But, Axel had frozen.

"I think I found her." He said, gesturing up ahead. Sora followed his gaze until it rested on a beautiful woman dressed in a elaborate black dress, with golden striped white sleeves and a lace ruff. The front of the bodice was white and gold, while the sides and the back were black. The skirt was black and decorated with white silk sections and gold lines. The dark brown hair was pulled back into a knot, tresses framing the sides of her face.

"Rika?" Sora said in awe. She didn't look like Rika at all. Rika turned, exposing a carefully powdered face. She saw them, and shot a venomous glare in their direction.

"Don't say anything." She hissed as they came closer. Sora nudged Axel.

"Dude, that's your wife." He taunted. Axel turned away from him, his knuckles shaking with the effort from NOT punching Sora. Sora leaned against the railing of the boat, feeling highly satisfied. This was going to be an awesome trip to England.

****

"Okay guys, you probably shouldn't come with me." Blythe said, throwing her weapon belt on a random seat in the Gummi Ship.

"Gawrsh Blythe, why not?" Goofy asked.

"Because you are technically a talking dog and Donald is a talking duck. These people are really superstitious guys. I don't know if they're going to take the sight of you lightly." Goofy and Donald nodded dejectedly.

"You look kinda native Blythe, except for your hair and eyes."

"Hopefully that will work to my advantage." Blythe said, jumping out of the Gummi Ship.

"I'll check back either tonight or tomorrow. So don't freak out if I don't come back tonight."

"Okay!" After Blythe had left, Donald turned to Goofy.

"Hey…have you seen Mousie anywhere?"

****  
Blythe slowly walked through the forest. A rustle off to the side alerted her of a presence beside her.

"Who's there?" She demanded, glancing around.

"It is I." A voice said. Blythe turned to the vaguely familiar voice to come to face to face with Pocahontas.

"Pocahontas?" Blythe demanded.

"Forgive me for not coming to speak with you directly, but I saw the tattoo on your arm. May I see it?"

"Sure." Blythe answered. Pocahontas gently grasped her arm and turned it over, inspecting the runes.

"These look like the runes of a sister tribe. What is your name? The others call you Blythe. But, something tells me that is not your name." Blythe was staggered.

"How do you know?"

"Because a birth name is who you are, who you resemble. You don't look like a Blythe."

"Kaia." Blythe said, defeated. Pocahontas nodded, satisfied.

"That is you. Come back to my village with me. My father will love to see someone from our sister tribe."

"So, your sister tribe is on Destiny Islands?" Blythe asked, catching up with Pocahontas. Pocahontas looked confused.

"No." She didn't elaborate.

"Where are they from?" Pocahontas stopped.

"You are lost." She said softly.

"A bit." Blythe said, ashamed. Pocahontas grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

"The name and location of our sister tribe is not known. We have not seen them for many years. Legends tell of a tribe that came to visit our tribe. They provided us with great healing powers and knowledge. They had colourless hair and light blue tattoos. We never had the chance to repay their gifts. This is why my father will welcome you with open arms." Blythe could only nod, as they stealthily moved through the forest.

"Tell me why you are lost." Pocahontas said suddenly.

"Because until a couple weeks ago, I didn't even know the 'Kaia' part of me existed. For the longest time, I didn't have any memory of my past. But all the memories came crashing down on me all at once, and it's…hard…to deal with." Pocahontas nodded.

"But you shouldn't still be going by 'Blythe'. That is the worst kind of lie you can tell yourself."

"But, Blythe can deal with more things then Kaia can." Pocahontas didn't reply, as they were approaching her village. She pulled Blythe into the middle of the surrounding tepees, before yanking her into the biggest one. She fell to her knees in respect, dragging Blythe down with her.

"Father, I found this girl in the forest. She has tattoos on her arm that are similar to the ones our sister tribe." The chief of the tribe stood up from his throne, and tipped Blythe's chin up. He gazed penetratingly into her eyes. Blythe held her ground, staring right back. He finally released her chin and motioned for them to stand.

"Her face. It holds the strength of the men that came to our tribe. Especially one that was described in the legend. It was said that he introduced himself as the king. Not to mention she speaks our tongue flawlessly."

"What? I hate to sound rude, your highness, but I'm speaking English." The chief looked at her patiently.

"No. You are speaking the tongue of the people, not the tongue of the white-men." Blythe stared at him, her eyes wide in shock.

"How can I be speaking a different language and not even know it?" She demanded.

"It was said that our sister tribe was capable of speaking many different languages." The Chief answered. "May I see your arm?" Blythe stretched out her arm, and let the Chief inspect it, as she had done with Pocahontas a couple hours ago. He released her arm.

"Well father? Can you read it?" Pocahontas asked. The Chief shook his head.

"Our tribe has never learned the language of our sister tribe."

"What exactly is your sister tribe?" Blythe asked.

"I shall tell you- during our telling of tales tonight." The Chief promised. "I also have something to show you then." Nodding, Pocahontas pulled Blythe out of the tent.

"Come! I'm going to show you around."

She dragged her to a tiny, circular corral filled with horses.

"We're going horseback riding?" Blythe asked, mystified.

"It's faster then walking. Kokomo, can we take two horses?" The tall, broad shouldered man nodded, opening the corral gate for them. Blythe entered, and one with a beige body and dark brown hair came up to her. Blythe raised her hand and gently touched his face.

"That is Storm." Pocahontas said, already mounted on an appaloosa.

"Storm?"

"He is very kind. Take him." Nodding, Blythe mounted. It felt odd to be on a horse, since she was accustomed to riding more…alien things. After a few shaky turns around the corral, the two girls finally galloped off into the forest.


	27. Playing the Part

"We're docking!" Rika cheered, so happy that she nearly jumped off the boat. Axel seized Rika's arm, before releasing it as if it was on fire. Things between Axel and Rika had been extremely tense since Sora had decided that they would be playing to role of a married couple. Sora had been enjoying his newfound freedom of mocking them whenever he got the chance. Since Rika was supposed to play the part of a loving sister, Sora could tease her whenever he wanted. And there was nothing Axel and Rika could do about it.

"Miss Amelia, Mr. Isaac and Alfred, it is time to get off the ship." The Captain said respectfully.

"Thank you Captain." Axel muttered, grabbing Rika's arm again to help her onto the ramp. The excess cloth from the dress made it hard for her to walk around. Together, they walked down the ramp, with Sora trailing behind them. As soon as Axel had helped Rika off the ramp, they were immediately greeted by King James, of England.

"Miss Amelia! Mr. Isaac and Mr. Alfred! It is so nice to finally have you home!"

"It is good to be home." Rika said, smiling at the king. Sora nodded to enforce this point.

"Follow me! You must be tired from your long journey. We will provide food drink and sleepwear for you tonight. Tomorrow, you can go shopping for new clothes and formal wear, for you are invited to the ball." Rika almost threw up in her mouth. This wasn't formal wear? But, she nodded graciously, and picked up her skirts and boarded the nearby King's carriage all by herself. It took all her maturity not to stick her tongue out at Axel. He sat beside her, making sure to leave at least thirty centimetres between them. Sora sat on the other side of Axel, less afraid of him then he was of Rika at that moment. The King took his seat across from them.

"So, Isaac, Alfred how did you survive? I mean, what did you do for food, water?" Rika didn't miss how the King spoke directly to Axel and Sora, ignoring her completely. Sexist pig. Until this moment, Rika had had no idea how feminist she was.

"We couldn't have survived without the help of the native people there." Sora said. The King raised his eyebrows.

"The savages?"

"But they're not savages!" Rika assured, politeness palpable in every word.

"They are actually really nice people. They saved us, even though our people have done them wrong." Axel said, shifting his collar uncomfortably.

"Truly? They fed you, clothed you and provided you with medicine?" King James asked incredulously.

"Yes sir. You see, that's part of the reason we returned to England so soon. We saw the destruction your people are inducing on the land. For gold I presume? That was the first thing we searched for when we were shipwrecked. There is no gold there. So why destroy the native people's land? How would you feel if they came to dig up ours?" Sora asked.

"How is it that your family survived?" The King asked.

"Easy. You see, our family is descended from noblemen. It made us quite wealthy. I think it was our aunt that was a noblewoman. So we had the safest cabin." Sora babbled.

"Really? Who?" The king said, as they pulled up in front of the castle. Rika and Axel shot Sora death glares. There was no one they were related to in England! Sora had screwed up big time! They had failed before they even started!

"Me." A voice came floating down from the front doors of the castle. Sora, Axel and Rika's heads shot up. An old, portly woman with a youthful bounce in her step was walking down the stairs to the palace. She was dressed in a spring yellow dress, tamed with dark green accents. The King broke into a enormous grin.

"So you're the family of Lady Helene that supposedly died in the wreck! Welcome Welcome!" The King said jovially, clasping each of their hands in his own. Rika, Sora and Axel smiled, but on the inside, they were extremely disturbed. Who was claiming them as their own? Sora squinted at the lady, realizing that she looked vaguely familiar to him. As she came closer, her twinkling blue eyes gave her away. Sora nearly fell off his seat. It was the Fairy Godmother! He breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

"Aunt Helene!" he exclaimed, true happiness and relief in his tone.

"Alfred, Amelia! And my nephew-in-law Isaac! Come here! Oh it has been so long! I was sure that you were dead!"

"We're fine Aunt Helene." Sora said, his voice muffled by the Fairy Godmother's crushing hug.

"And I am truly happy. Thank you for bringing them back James. I am truly in your debt." The King saved his hand.

"It was no problem Lady Helene. I'm glad I remembered your story from the noblemen convention and invited you to stay when survivors were discovered." The Fairy Godmother nodded.

"Well, they can take up residence here I presume?" The King nodded. "Excellent. After the ball they will come back with me to Leicester. Come now children!" The Fairy Godmother grabbed Sora and Rika's hands and motion Axel to follow with her head. Rika felt somewhat relieved. Obviously Sora had met this woman before. They were just lucky that she had happened to have family that had died in that shipwreck. Pushing down the sense of guilt that filled her on that thought, Rika allowed herself to be pulled into that castle, up a staircase and into a room. As soon as all four of them were in the room, the woman shut the door and turned to them, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Sora! I'm so glad I found you! I was afraid that you weren't coming!" Sora grinned.

"I'm SO glad to see you Fairy Godmother. But how did you know we'd be here?"

"King Mickey enlisted my help to gaze into the future of your quest a few days ago. We saw you coming here to attempt to save Chief Powhatan's tribe. We saw that you would need help convincing the King who you were, so I went undercover and messed with everyone's memories to include myself in them."

"Wait, so who are you?" Rika demanded.

"I'm the Fairy Godmother. I am not from this world…this 1612 England world…" She shook her head. "I don't know how you three switch to different worlds all the time. My sense of timing is messed up."

"What world are you from then?"

"I'm from the same world as Princess Cinderella." The Fairy Godmother said, pulling a wand out of her sleeve. With a poof, they were all back in their normal clothing, except Axel's and Sora's hair was still tied back in a ponytail.

"Umnh, Fairy Godmother, could you please re-grow my hair back?" Sora asked hopefully.

"Not a chance Sora. You can see your pretty blue eyes this way. You'll have lots of girls throwing themselves at you at the Ball." Sora paled.

"Are you serious? What if Kairi finds out?"

"Don't flatter yourself Sora. I'm sure no girl would dream to hit on you." Rika snapped.

"Speaking of which…." Rika then punched Sora in the face.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"That was for your little stunt on the ship. And this-" She punched him in the stomach.

"is for your little stunt in the carriage before we knew about the Fairy Godmother coming to save our butts."

"Chop Chop children! The Ball is tomorrow! Rika, we must choose your dress!" The Fairy Godmother exclaimed, whisking Rika off into the bathroom. Before she closed the door, The Fairy Godmother glared at Sora and Axel. "Don't try anything funny." And she shut the door.


	28. Legends from the Past

AN: I'd like to congratulate my co-author for writing such an amazing Native Legend I think it's very well done…R&R with your opinions xP

***

"Welcome Kaia, take a seat." An older gentleman of the tribe with a long stick motioned over to the ground by the rest of his people.

"How did you know my name?" Blythe asked, unsure of how safe she really was staying with them. They seemed to know about her which she didn't even know about herself yet.

"Through the fire's smoke." The old man sprinkled some dust over the fire and with a puff of smoke, the smoke formed into a young woman walking with a young, broad shouldered man followed by a bulge of unidentified people behind them.

"In the past," the old man began telling his story with drums blazing behind his words forming a beat in unison with his story. "Our sister tribe founded this earth," the old man picked up the sand and the wind from outside the teepee blew it gently out of his hand and around the warm, red hot fire. "They came from a place which is out of our world, filled with the unimaginable." Blythe began to think perhaps her ancestors came from an actual different world, in contrast to how these people must think they came from over the seas kind of 'different world'. "They came with just the clothes on their backs and the unspeakable knowledge they had earned from the heavens." The fire roared, building up it's intensity from the old man's talk of the sister tribe's godliness.

"They had found our struggling tribe and freed us from our impending struggles." The smoke formed a colourful mixture of greens, blues and purples, the people formed by the smoke, trying to work the lands, create shelter and trying to create even the smallest fire.

"The people were starting to wither away to nothing," the elder chucked some more of his 'magic dust' into the fire creating the smoke along with the smoke people literally wither away to nothing.

"The people taught us of fishing," smoke rose again, this time blue with a young tribesman with a spear hunting for fish created through it. "They taught us of how to grow and nourish the corn," the smoke turned to a soft yellow and wisped and twirled about, creating corn stalks grow about, the smoke gently folding back as if the leaves were coming back revealing the actual corn.

"Most importantly they showed us how to keep warm." The man stopped, as well as the smoke did and turned to face Blythe. "They showed us everything including this fire I have here. I am the last one to hold the knowledge and capability to run this fire as our sister tribe had." The elder did a weird hand gesture Blythe was unsure of its meaning. However everyone around the fire too started to do it, with respectable and grateful expressions shown on their face.

"You're welcome." Blythe said in return as everyone went back to normal. "However what happened to my tribe?" Blythe questioned, just realizing the question she had asked and that she truly believed that was the tribe which she belonged to.

*****  
"Oh, now what shall we try?" the fairy godmother hobbled up and down in excitement and waved her wand. "Maybe this," she muttered. The Fairy godmother loved bright and cheery clothes as expected, it matched her personality perfectly. "And this!" She muttered again with a giant grin shown on her face and a big wave of her wand. Sparkles flew all around Rika. With the first wave of the Fairy Godmother's wand the colour of her dress turned into a fiery and explicate red as well as the dress lengthening slimly. The second wave of the wand, the trimming on the dress turned a bright gold with a black back drop and an entrancing design swirled across the left side of her dress.

"Before you go any further!" Rika warned, ruining the Fairy Godmother's fun with messing around with her clothes. "If you give me those puffy shoulders thingy's I will rampage about at the ball causing a scene and make you suffer and defeating the purpose of you coming!" The Fairy Godmother she giggled off Rika's threat whole heartedly.

"Now relax child! You sweet little thing! I would never do anything to make you sad! Why if you had seen Cinderella's dress you would know it's quite dashing and just the type of stuff you like….though this is a different time…." The Fairy Godmother starting rambling on to herself while waving her wand as she had decided something. First she decided to avoid the dress, making Rika's hair fall down, curled professionally and add a red bow at the right side of her hair. She then added flattering make up onto Rika, causing her to look no wear close to her usual self, and decided to at the back of the dress have a tiny black bow with a long excess ribbon left over from it, trail down the dress.

"Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to deny your wish, however! I will try my best to make you fine with the design I choose." The Fairy Godmother smiled and swished her wand for the last time. On each shoulder there was one black strip on top and one fallen to the side, connecting a dark red see through 'puffy shoulder thingy' as well as a black choker that connected to it a circular ruby gem directly in the center as well as dangling black earrings which held at the bottom of them the tiniest red ruby gems to seem like Rika was sparkling red instead of wearing it.

"Wait, I thought you were going to make me wear something cheerful?" Rika said, sure that, that was going to happen.

"Oh no. That would make it too girly for you wouldn't it? I was going to go with pink." Rika could see the Fairy Godmother's eyes twinkle with the urge to change the dress to pink, lacy and frilly. Rika took a step back and sure that her face had turned pale white if you could actually see her natural face colour under the entire make up.

"I'm good." Rika said slowly and petrified to see what the Fairy Godmother would do next. The Fairy Godmother swished her wand once again, as Rika winced with fright however opened her eyes realizing she just simply had high-heeled black shoes on.

"Can you walk in those?" The Fairy Godmother asked.

"Does it matter? I can't take a second more of this!" Rika yelled as she ran out of the room, apparent to be a pro at walking, or even running in high heels.

"HAHAHAHA!" Rika laughed loudly just as she walked out the door. Sora was waiting outside of her room. His hair was parted, greased and combed. He wore a formal brown and white uniform, coloured shirt, white formal shirt underneath the brown vest and brown capri pants.

"I'm sorry but do I look odd miss?" Sora tumbled over the words in an English accent. Rika smiled happily, creating a plan for even the tiniest bit of revenge towards Sora.

"Oh, I was just in the room. Your friend is so funny, she almost done now." Rika said in a high-pitched, English accent.

"Are you going to the ball too?" Sora asked friendlily.

"No, why may I ask?" Rika had a sudden nagging feeling that Sora may know it was her all along that he was talking to. Or that something bad was going to happen.

"Well, you're awfully pretty today; you seem to be dressed up quite well. Though I am unaware of your casual way of dressing, that this might just be your way of doing so." Sora complimented. Rika stared at him feeling complimented by his politeness though contradicting herself due to him being Sora and that she felt an urge to make his way of talking a bit more simple.

"Should you really be talking like this to another woman? What about Kiari?" Rika teased, suddenly aware that she forgot that she had stepped out of character.

"Wait, how do you know about Kairi?" Sora raised his voice, hand twitching a bit in case he needed his key blade.

"Rika, put these on I think you'll be fine now." The Fairy Godmother gave Rika two long, black gloves which Rika slipped on.

"What? Rika?!" Sora gasped as his pride slightly broke that he complimented Rika, and that he suddenly felt guilty towards Kairi.

"Oh relax, we'll just pretend that never happened. For both me and you…" Rika whispered as she remembered one of her dearest feelings. Never to get revenge or anything like that do to it being too troublesome.

"Sora, Rika, you're done already?" Axel walked up to Sora and Rika, with his hair gelled back in a masculine way, and the colour of his turquoise eyes popping out more then usual. He was wearing a pure black and white suit, one that was more seen in there own day, however with more rugged material used to making it appear duller and more over used. "You must do this too often." Axel teased Sora's and Rika's swiftness in getting themselves to look so high class.

"Whatever, let's go." Rika sighed as Axel took her in his arm and they both walked up towards the door lead by the Fairy Godmother.

"Are you two love birds in a fight?" Sora darted at Rika and Axel. Sora was behind them and could sense an evil aura emitting from them, suddenly fully aware that he should cease with the teasing them. The Fairy Godmother opened the door and a chariot awaited them.

"Come along dear brother and hold my hand. I don't want you lost now do I?" Rika called to Sora who reluctantly went beside her and held her hand. Axel shot Sora death glare, while Rika's grasp on Sora's hand became tighter and tighter.

"Don't go doing anything bad, or else you're leaving right away!" Rika directed at Sora not willing to beg, however willing to threaten to stop with the grief he was giving both

Rika and Axel.


	29. The Ball

"There is one other thing Kaia." Chief Powhatan said, pulling a gold chair off his neck. Attached to the gold chain was a faintly glowing crystal. Blythe's eyes widened at the sight of the crystal. She had seen that somewhere before! He extended his hands towards her, gently putting the crystal in her outstretched hands. "Our sister tribe left us this gift to aide us in the art of healing. One touch with this crystal on a single wound will heal the wound." Blythe grasped the chain, holding the crystal eye- level.

"This looks…so familiar." She whispered, crushing waves of emotion threatening to overwhelm her. "I...remember this. My mother and father both wore one." She looked back up at the Chief, his eyes filled with compassion. "What happened to my tribe? What does the legend say?" Chief Powhatan closed his eyes and turned back towards the fire. He tossed another handful of dirt in the fire as the drums started to beat once more. Pocahontas squeezed Blythe's shoulder in reassurance. The entire tribe began to sing, the tempo increasing, voices rising until the fire leaped into the air, turning the same shade of blue as the crystal Blythe now gripped tightly in her hand.

"It is said," Chief Powhatan said, bowing his head. "That our sister tribe met with vast misfortune many years ago. A great ocean wave crashed over their land, making them to cease to exist." As he spoke, the fire twisted and moulded into a giant wave that crashed on the ground and spread across the story area.

"They obviously still exist!" Blythe cried. "My mother- I remember her clearly now. She had hair and tattoos like mine!" Chief Powhatan gestured to the fire.

"Touch the fire and discover your destiny." Gripping the crystal harder, Blythe stood up, stretching her hand out towards the fire. Just as her hand was about to brush the blue fire, she withdrew her hand.

"I can't." She whispered.

"Why not Kaia?" Pocahontas asked, coming to stand beside her.

"I'm afraid of what I'll see." Blythe said, her voice quavering. Pocahontas gripped her wrist tightly.

"Kaia do not pass up on this chance." She said steadily. "This is your opportunity to discover the truth." Blythe nodded. Pocahontas released her wrist and Blythe's hand came in contact with the blue fire. The fire exploded, causing the people to shriek and scatter.

"Kaia!" Pocahontas yelled, moving to help her.

"Hold your ground!" Chief Powhatan ordered, sticking his arm in front of Pocahontas. Finally the fire's writhing ceased, and the tribe fell deadly silent. Above the fire pit was the most curious looking object Blythe had ever seen. It was a blue glow surrounded by rocks engraved with people's faces. Blythe gazed at the light, watching the engraved rocks rotate around the blue glow. The design…her eyes widened. The book! The book that had shown them the legends of the Kingdom Stone.

"The larger source!" Blythe cried, jumping to her feet. "That's the larger source of the Kingdom Stone!!!"

"The spirits also tell me that that object is from our sister tribe." Pocahontas said. Blythe looked over at her. Pocahontas eyes were closed, her stance relaxed. "Your tribe." Blythe stared back up at the light. She stretched out and touched it. It disappeared on first contact in a wisp of smoke. She turned to Chief Powhatan.

"Thank you. I owe you so much for this." She tried to give back the crystal. But Chief Powhatan wouldn't accept it.

"That is yours."

"But it is gift from my people." Blythe said, feeling quite foolish saying it for she didn't even know who her people were. "I want you to accept it. It's healing powers will help your people in the future." Chief Powhatan smiled and accepted the crystal, replacing it on his neck.

"You are very wise Kaia." Blythe nodded, smiling up at him. She turned back to Pocahontas. She was smiling too.

****  
"The ball house." The carriage driver announced. He jumped lithely off the drivers seat and opened the door for the Fairy Godmother, Rika, Axel and Sora.

"Thank you dear." The Fairy Godmother said, to the driver. She turned to Sora. "Would you be a dear Alfred and escort your aunt into the ball?"

"Yes Aunt Helene." Sora answered, allowing the portly woman to slip her hand through his arm.

"Alright then," The Fairy Godmother laughed, picking up the immense periwinkle blue silk material of her dress. "Let us go in." Sora laughed and they started walking towards the immense doors. Rika stood there, staring at the castle. Axel came to stand beside her.

"Are you alright Rik?" He asked. They were alone, so he switched back to his regular accent.

"I don't know if I can do this." Rika confessed, feeling stupid. "I'm not a girly ball/princess type of girl."

"You don't have to be. Just play the part." Axel told her. Rika gave him a funny look.

"Usually this is when Blythe would tell me to be myself."

"Yeah, but it you were yourself, we would all get executed." Axel quipped, holding his arm out for her. Rika punched it.

"Ouch!"

"I can go in myself."

"That would blow our cover." Rika groaned.

"I feel like such a sissy." She complained, finally taking Axel's arm. Axel laughed and led her into the ballroom.

"Mr. Isaac! Mrs. Amelia! How are you?" The King said jovially, standing by the door. Sora and The Fairy Godmother stood off to the side.

"We are fine thank you." Rika said, curtsying. A man with chestnut brown hair, a gold jacket and red knee lengths pants approached her, extending a hand towards her.

"My name is John Rolfe. I am also a guest of honour." Rika curtsied.

"Pleasure. My name is Amelia and this is Isaac."

"Your husband." John nodded. Rika blanched, thanking the Gods that she was already wearing powder.

"Well, now that we have all been introduced, let's head down to the party." The King announced. Nodding, Rika, Sora, The Fairy Godmother, Axel and John Rolfe headed down to the ball under the fanfare of trumpets and booming voices.

****

"You are to be seated here madam, as well as you husband beside on the right." A young maid with a black and white maid's outfit showed Rika and Axel towards there seats.

"How are you doing?" Axel whispered to Rika as Sora was listening patiently to the now very talkative Fairy Godmother.

"I'm fine however I'm getting a really bad feeling. I really don't want to be here." Rika complained surly.

"You are to be seated here Mr. Radcliffe, as requested to be next to the king." Mr. Radcliffe, being quite round, black hair, crude and pudgy face as well as wearing bulky armour shuffled his way into the seat and swiped the maid away from him.

All of a sudden the trumpets started blazing as the king descended into his seat. "I would like to first and foremost welcome our three survivors from the tragic day in which one of our beloved ships sank causing us pain for our loved ones demise." the king paused in respect to the dead to give them a moment of silence. "Please welcome back Sir Isaac" everyone stared at Axel who barely managed to uphold a respectable smile, "His brother-in-law Alfred as well has beautiful wife Madame Amelia." Rika bowed her head silently and whispered thank you in a casual way in gratitude. In the background everyone could hear the Fairy Godmother's sniffles of happiness in the background of having her beloved 'family' back.

"Now please eat!" Dozens of Waitresses and waiters reached across the table and lifted up tin lids revealing countless chicken roasts, vegetables, potatoes gravy and a plentiful amount of other delicious food and beverages. everyone ate, Sora and Axel pigging in, however Rika ate very little losing her appetite due to the surrounding environment.

Once the meal had finished and everything was cleaned up, someone clinked the glass as towards the kings wish to speak.

"Now for final business before everyone is invited to do dance, do tell us the riches of that new world and of the savages." The king smiled politely expecting Axel to answer. For once all three of them, especially Rika who winced at the word of savages, were glad that she wasn't to answer the question.

"It wasn't nearly as civilized and proper as compared to here: our homeland, to which I would I prefer far more to stay as to over there." Axel began talking politely.

"It was rich in corn however nothing else, no gold or anything. As towards the savages indeed they were the savages in appearance however no less sensible as we are." Axel continued unsure of how to phrase his words in a way which the king was less likely to get upset with.

"They helped us keep alive, fed and sheltered." The king nodded his head in interest thinking over his new found knowledge.

"Radcliffe, I'm disappointed in you. Find someone here to certify this information as well as to bring the chief here for further discussion. If what was said is true there is no need for a war." The King bellowed out as Radcliffe started to become furious looking to the side at Axel with full contempt.

"I'll go!" A voice from the far end of the table called out, interrupting Radcliffe's moment of fury.

"Ah, Rolfe is it?" the king called down to him as Rika, Axel and Sora stared down the table at the broad shouldered man.

"Yes your majesty." Rolfe answered.

"Very well. You shall depart as soon as possible and now that that's done with to the ball!" King yelled as everyone got up and the waiters and waitresses quickly cleaned everything up as everyone headed to a huge wooden floored ball room. The orchestra started playing a slow beat song with a violinist as the solo instrument.

"Dance with me Sora! We can't waste away the night!" The Fairy God other pulled Sora away as he was crying inside as the started to dance a waltz along with Axel and Rika joining in. As Rika and Axel twirled around the room, her dress floating around them, her hair flowing with the beat and Axel's eyes set on hers they both twirled around the room, people sensing them to be in a totally different, unreachable world from them.

"Axel," Rika continued to look up at him with her eyes twinkling.

"Yes, to the balcony correct?" Axel whispered back to Rika, smiling brightly resulting in all the men and woman at the ball looking at them in jealousy and shock from their closeness and dramatic air about them. As they both glided out of the ball room and onto the balcony.

"Is no one else out here on this beautiful night?" Rika inquired.

"Well unless me and you don't count as people." Axel retorted with his usual sarcastic way.

"Thank God!" Rika cried as she quickly straightened herself out.

"Axel we can just go now right," Rika whined as she grabbed Axel at the sleeve mercilessly.

"Of course we can't, I thought you were supposed to be a genius." Rika looked back at Axel feeling trapped.

"Im going to die from this." Rika looked up at the dark, starless night sky and walked back into the ball room with Axel.

"It's time for US to dance darling. Now run along boy." Radcliffe grabbed Rika by an arm and started to dance snobbishly alongside Rika.

"Now, how did you get to see those savages?" he interrogated.

"Well I was on their land and they were on their land so I guess... The fates brought us together?" Rika asked dumbfounded at such an obvious and stupid question. Not to mention the fact that she didn't want to be at the ball let along dance with the man she was currently dancing with.

"So tell me of your experience." Rika's face started to turn red, Not that it could be seen thanks to the make up. She was so unsure of what to say towards Radcliffe due to his obvious dark soul.

"I found a lovely young native who kindly took me in." Radcliffe leaned in. "Her name was Pocahontas, I was the greeted later on by a man named John Smith who was the one who lead us on the ship." Rika talked as fast as she could, Radcliffe leaned back again.

"And why didn't John Smith go back with you?" Radcliffe started to smirk horrifically, Rika felt telling him would be a major mistake.

"I don't know." Rika said.

"Oh but you do." Rika looked across the room to see Rolfe looking at her. She mouthed help me as he nodded and cut in taking Rika next at the dance.

"Can you help me put a stop to this war?" He whispered.

"Most definitely." Rika assured him gently in her real voice not the English accent. He looked at her in shock. "Will you let me help?" Rika asked as he smiled.

"Most definitely" he mimicked, trying to imitate her odd accent, as the looked over to see the guards shuffling off Sora and Axel away as they struggled and created a commotion.

"What's going on!?" Rika yelled as the guards injected Sora and Axel with some liquid as they swiftly lost consciousness.

"Amelia, Isaac, Alfred, you are under arrest in contempt of obstructing Mr. Radcliffe's case." A guard announced loudly as she looked towards the king who was talking amongst Mr. Radcliffe.

" Please hold still Madame." A guard took Rika by the arm and shoved her away injecting her too with the liquid.

"Tell Blythe of the situation at hand." She quickly said to Rolfe who looked at her in despair as she was lead out of the room with surprised guards that the injection didn't work on her.

"Who?!" Rolfe yelled as the door slammed shut behind her.


	30. Larger Source

AN: Just to let you know…Blythe's name changes from Blythe to Kaia in this chapter. So from this chapter on, she will be referred to as Kaia.

- Three Weeks Later-

"I'm so happy I have found a sister." Pocahontas said, dragging Blythe out of the small native village. Blythe had been living there for the past three weeks, learning more legends about her 'lost tribe' and the native's customs. Even though Blythe loved it there, she couldn't help but feel useless. Rika was negotiating with the King of England! The best Blythe could do was ward off the Europeans, as there was no Heartless here as well.

"Well, if we're 'sisters', do you think that I could introduce you to a few of my friends without freaking out?"

"Of course." Pocahontas said, as Blythe led her towards the Gummi Ship. "What are your friend's names?"

"Donald and Goofy."

"Donald and Goofy." Pocahontas repeated. "Do they share your funny accent when they speak English?"

"Uhm…kind of…" Blythe answered, thinking of Donald and Goofy's voices. Finally, they rounded the huge tree that concealed the Gummi Ship from view. Pocahontas' eyes widened.

"What is THAT?"

"It's a Gummi Ship. It's how I got here."

"It's like the huge boats the white-men came in." Pocahontas said, raising her hand to touch the shiny red exterior, but withdrawing it as if she was afraid. She gazed at her reflection in the shiny metal. She said nothing.

"What's wrong?" Blythe asked softly.

"I-" Pocahontas ran from the Gummi Ship closely followed by Blythe after she had motioned Donald and Goofy to follow. Pocahontas finally stopped in front of the old willow tree and collapsed on the ground with a frown crossing her face.

"What's wrong?" Blythe asked quietly as Donald and Goofy ran up to them as well.

"John went back to England to stop the war, after his and my relationship was finally made." Pocahontas said as she looked to the ground with sadness.

"Congratulations on you two becoming a couple, but don't worry my friends are over there too." Blythe encouraged, "with all of them together the war will be stopped and he'll be back before you know it." Blythe smiled, raising Pocahontas's spirits as well. Rustling resounded in the forest and the raccoon and humming bird hid behind Pocahontas as fast as they could. John Rolfe soon enough came through the bushes covered in leaves, mud and scratches and holding the reigned to his horse leading it behind him.

"Are you Blythe?" He demanded hoarsely. Blythe nodded, as she and Pocahontas jumped up to catch him before he fell. "Are you the leader?" He asked Pocahontas. Pocahontas shook slowly. "The leader has to come back to England with me! That's the only way to stop the war! He demanded roughly, as Goofy and Donald looked at each other as Blythe and Pocahontas looked at each other.

"This way," Blythe responded leading him back to Pocahontas's tribe.

"Stop!" The chief yelled. "Pocahontas, Kaia what are you doing bringing the white men to our home?" Rolfe took the lead and explained to the chief of his desire to take him back to England to appease the king and stop the war. And of course that he would return soon after back to his land.

"And there were three people- odd people. Survivors of a boat crash. The girl, Amelia told me to come find Blythe. They are in trouble. They were taken away to the King's guard-"

"RIKA?" Blythe demanded, jumping up. She turned to Donald and Goofy. "We have to go save them!"

"I'm not going." the chief said stubbornly, refusing to be taken any where.

"I will go in his stead." Pocahontas stepped up and confronted her father along with Rolfe.

"I will not allow you to go. It much too dangerous." the chief said, soon added with Rolfe's response "the king won't listen to a girl. Especially one of your sort, no offense meant." Pocahontas was ready to question what he meant by that however stopped by Blythe.

"We're going too. If the King won't listen to us, I'll force him to. Those are our friends he has trapped there." The expression on Blythe face assured John Rolfe that there was no way she could be moved.

"England is much different then here though, the King, he is extremely sexist and I'm not sure he'll-"

"I said, I'll make him listen to Pocahontas. Then, I'll make him listen to me." Blythe repeated. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Extremely." John Rolfe smiled. "The ship is this way." He turned to Chief Powantan. "For your generosity in letting your daughter go, I present you with this horse. Take it as the first gift of peace that will eventually come from England." Wordlessly, the Chief took the horse.

"There must be many to make up for what your people have taken from us." He said coldly, before turning away from them.

"We must go!" Pocahontas shouted, obviously worried about John Smith. A couple minutes later, they had all boarded the ship. Twenty minutes after that, they set sail.

***

The second the group of the got off the ship, Blythe sprinted off towards the cells leaving everyone else in worry, and at mercy towards having to do everything Rolfe told them to do. They followed him like baby chicks followed their mother.

"Hurry, this way!" John Rolfe whispered harshly, motioning from them to follow him. Donald, Goofy and Pocahontas silently obeyed.

"What exactly ARE you?" Pocahontas asked Donald and Goofy quietly. "A talking duck and a dog?"

"Yup." Goofy said cheerfully. John Rolfe cut off any further conversation.

"I'm going to go inside and find the King. Come inside quietly. If anything goes wrong, get out as fast as you can." He adjusted the finely pressed shirt that he had changed into during their long voyage, and started to climb stairs towards the palace. He knocked three times on the huge oak door with the enormous iron door knocker. The door opened agonizingly slow with scratches and creaks.

"Yes?" The guard said.

"My name is John Rolfe. I was sent as an ambassador to the New World to gather information. I've brought back the native princess to explain her side of the story." The guard nodded.

"Enter." He said, gesturing for them to come in. John Rolfe motioned Pocahontas, Donald and Goofy to follow. Once inside the castle, they were struck by the sheer darkness of it. The velvet curtains were closed, cutting all light out of the room. John Rolfe stepped back towards Pocahontas, Donald and Goofy.

"I don't like this at all. Stick close." He murmured, as they entered they walked along the red carpet that led to the throne.

"Light the candles!" An unfamiliar voice said. At least, unfamiliar to everyone but John Rolfe.

"Radcliffe!" He yelled. "Where's the King?!"

"That's none of your concern." Radcliffe said smoothly. Two servants lit the six candles surrounding him, showing his features for the first time for Donald, Goofy and Pocahontas. He was an ugly man. His greasy hair was slicked back and hung past his shoulders. His nose resembled that of a parrot, and he had a pathetic Frenchman moustache. He was dressed in silky black noble clothes, as if he was trying to down size his immensely fat figure. Furious, John Rolfe brandished his sword at Radcliffe, its point glinting menacingly in the candle light.

"I suggest you tell me where the King is." John Rolfe threatened. Radcliffe laughed loudly, as if this amused him. He sat down, and crossed his legs.

"You sure you want to do this John?" He asked delicately.

"You're a traitor Radcliffe." John Rolfe spat out. "You just want to dominate the natives that live there! When you discovered that there was no gold, you got revenge on the innocent people that lived there first! And now you want to start a stupid war. They aren't savages Radcliffe- you are!"

"Are you siding with the savages John?" Radcliffe asked greasily. John Rolfe didn't even hesitate.

"Yes." Donald and Goofy heard Pocahontas' sharp intake of breath.

"It pains me to do this John, it really does. Guards!" Immediately ten guards who had been concealed by the darkness leapt out and jumped on him.

"No!" Pocahontas yelled, starting to rush towards him to help.

"What are you doing? Get out!" John Rolfe hollered at them, blood pouring down the side of his face from a head wound. "GET OUT! Live to fight another day!" Pocahontas stood there, paralyzed at the sight of the man before her. Suffering when he could have said no and evaded it.

"Pocahontas!" Donald yelled, grabbing her arm. "We have to go!" Goofy jumped bravely in front of them and held out his shield, instantly blocking three guards. He grunted at the strain. Pocahontas shook herself out of her cationic state and finally responded to Donald's pulls on her arm. All three of them raced out of the castle, with Donald casting random spells to slow them down. They fled to the bushes by the dungeon, and awaited Blythe's return.

****

As Blythe ran into the slimy dungeon, she had an epiphany. It was an odd place to have one, but she was happy that she had it none the less. The last few weeks with Pocahontas had caused her to become accustomed to being called Kaia. And she realized that, the past few weeks, she had honestly become Kaia again. More trusting, less violent and just…happier overall. She knew for a fact now, that she couldn't live with being called Blythe anymore- it would be disrespectful to her parents and to herself, as Pocahontas had said. She wasn't a Blythe. She was a Kaia.

***~

"Pssst, wake up dammit!" Rika poked Sora and Axel however neither were waking up. Rika walked over to the hole in the wall, that didn't even pass for being their window. She contemplated jumping out many times however the window was far too high up to jump without killing yourself. She had jumped from great heights before…but there had usually been someone there to help her…suddenly, a dark object came into view, blocking out the little moonlight that the window let pass.

"John Smith!" Rika yelled softly. John Smith's hooded head popped upside down Into the window and he greeted Rika. He swiftly hopped into the jail cell.

"Do you have the remedy to whatever they injected them with?" Rika whispered as she looked out the jail cell making sure there was no guard in the dark, grey bricked part of the castle they were in.

"Yeah, right here." John whispered as he tossed the bottle to Rika.

"It's been at least four to five days, these guys have barely managed to drink water considered they're practically brain dead at the moment!" Rika silently yelled at John Smith as she dumped the cure into their mouths. After a few minutes, they had their eyes open, blinking stupidly.

"Rika!" Rika looked out the window again, to see this time Blythe entering through it.

"Okay these people suck with jail cells." Rika said happily as she looked up towards Blythe.

"It's 1612 Rika, of course they did!" Blythe said, her eyes twinkling.

"Blythe!" Sora yelled grabbing her hand and looking for food.

"No Sora, not Blythe." Rika said with a huge, energetic and pure smile cross her face.

"It's Kaia!" Rika ran up to Kaia and pulled out her keyblade, which she tapped twice on the ground. With sparkles flying around her hand, a blue crystal that was like an exact replica of the one Kaia's tribe had given the chief so long ago. The one with healing powers. "I'm happy that you gained your past self. It's so nice to see you with no inner turmoil's. Rika placed the gem into Kaia's hands. "This is yours." Rika finished.

****

Kaia reached into Rika's hand, gently taking the crystal. She gently stroked the crystal part of it, letting the peaceful feeling of belonging wash over her. She turned her gaze up to Rika's.

"Rika, I think I found the larger source of the Kingdom Stone. We have to go back to Arrow. It's in that book." Rika could barely obscure her shock.

"You found it?" Kaia nodded.

"I'm pretty sure. C'mon, let's get you out of here!" Nodding, Rika picked up her skirts.

"I'm guessing this means John Rolfe found you okay?"

"John Rolfe?" John Smith asked incredulously.

"Yeah, John Rolfe found us." Kaia said, ignoring John Smith. Then, without a word, she put the crystal around her neck. "Rika, can you take the top part of your skirt off?"

"Ah…you want to use it as a rope!"

"Would that be okay, I mean you already have a ton of layers so it won't be like you're in your underwear." But Rika had already ripped the red part of her skirt off and was dangling it in front of her expectedly.

"Nice!" Kaia complimented. She tied the skirt onto a piece of rope she had stolen from downstairs, lengthening it. She threw the rope over the edge and tied it to the iron bars on the window. "Hurry…everyone down!" Rika ripped another layer of her dress of so she was able to fit through the window, and she went first, followed by Axel, then Sora. John Smith hesitated.

"Do you really think it's-" Kaia looked at him expectedly.

"Oh fine. But if I die, then…"

"Just go." Kaia hissed. John Smith nodded, and swung out the window and down the rope. Kaia untied the rope from up top, and used a nearby bar to divided it in two, as if she was using the bar as a pulley. She grasped the two ends of the rope and slid down as far as if would let her. She then let go of one end and free- fell down the wall, before landing neatly on her feet. Sora applauded.

"Nice!"

"Kaia's an expert jail breaker." Rika said, high fiving her. Kaia grinned and used her boot knife to cut Rika's skirt off the rope.

"Kaia!" Pocahontas came running (along with Donald and Goofy) from the forest across from the jail. Her face was urgent. "John Rolfe- He was taken! We have to save him! And to make matters worse, guards are coming! We have to hide!" Kaia nodded, touching the crystal around her neck. It's faint glow lit up to a magnificent blue.

"You brought Pocahontas?" Sora hissed. Kaia shrugged, changing the subject.

"How did you guys ever fool the King?"

"Mickey bailed us out with an old friend. You've heard of the Fairy Godmother?" Kaia nodded.

"Cinderella's world?" Sora nodded, before demanding,

"What now?"

"I'll go and find John Rolfe. You guys secure a boat for us. We'll escape before sunrise." Nodding, Rika, Axel, Donald and Goofy raced towards the woods. Kaia looked around for John Smith, but he had mysteriously disappeared.

"Where are we going?" Pocahontas asked.

"Pocahontas, I can't ask you to come." Kaia hissed, turning to scale the wall. Pocahontas grabbed her arm.

"Kaia haven't you realized yet? You are of my sister tribe. In our tribe, we believe that we are related to everyone in our sister tribe. That makes you my sister. And I swear to you, I will never abandoned my sister when she's in need. Not to mention, I'm greatly indebted to this man for saving my life in the castle." Deeply touched, Kaia nodded.

"Come on then." She whispered, spinning around towards the wall. Digging her hands and feet in the grooves of the stones, she rapidly started to scale the jail wall, closely followed by Pocahontas. Swinging up, she was grateful that the bridge was virtually free of guards.

"I think the King would keep his-" Her sentence was rudely interrupted by John Smith's sudden entrance on the bridge.

"Sorry I'm late." He panted. Kaia rolled her eyes, but Pocahontas on the other hand, looked ecstatic.

"John!" He smiled jovially.

"I'm right here." He said, taking her hand.

"Uh...guys...can we keep going?" Kaia demanded. Not waiting for an answer, Kaia swung off the bridge and dropped into the courtyard of the jail. She heard the soft footsteps of John and Pocahontas land beside her.

"Which one is his cell?" John asked. Kaia didn't look at him, feeling an unjustified dislike of him wash over her.

"We'll see." She removed a pick from her weapon belt and started to pick at the lock of a rotten wood and metal door.

"Whoa…isn't that illegal?" John Smith commented. Kaia shot him a withering look.

"Everything that we're doing now is illegal." She snapped, letting the lock fall to the floor after she had successfully picked it. She pushed the door open and slipped inside the dark, unlit corridors of the hallways. Feeling her way along the slippery wall, she guided her steps by the constant, pulsing light from the crystal.

"Who's there?" A voice sounded from a nearby cell. Holding up her crystal, Kaia approached the cell cautiously.

"Who are you?" She asked, positioning the crystal so that she could see the face of the voice in the cell.

"King James." The man snapped, coming into view. His hair and beard was horribly straggly. Kaia blinked.

"King?" The King nodded.

"And my wife as well." Kaia moved the light of the crystal slightly off to the side so it didn't illuminate the king's face anymore. It now shone on a woman sitting in the back corner of the cell. Even though her face was streaked with dirt and her hair was all over the place, she projected a great beauty. Kaia paused, making a few calculations in her head.

"Whoa! You majesty!" John Smith spluttered, running towards the cell.

"Shut up you doorknob!" Kaia hissed, bending now to pick the lock.

"John Smith! What are you doing here?" The King demanded harshly.

"I came back with Pocahontas." He replied.

"Who?"

"She's the native princess."

"Your majesty," Pocahontas said respectfully.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Pocahontas." The queen said sincerely, coming out from the corner of the cell. Kaia gritted her teeth, and jerked the lock. It came of cleanly. Triumphant, she stood up and quietly tested the door. It creaked horribly.

"Dammit." She muttered, reaching into her pack again. Sifting through her pack, she produced a can of oil. After shaking it, she dribbled it into the creaky joints holding the door to the frame. Once she had finished, she replaced the can of oil into her bag and dragged the door open, her grin becoming wide when it opened without any creaks whatsoever.

"How did you do that?" Pocahontas asked in awe.

"Never leave home without a can of oil when you're planning on doing a jailbreak." Kaia beamed, gesturing rapidly to get the king and queen out.

"Thank you Miss-"

"Kaia. What happened?"

"My governor, Radcliffe betrayed us. He turned my entire guard against me! All so he could gain control of England and take all the gold on the new land for himself."

"There is no gold!" Pocahontas snarled, who had already looked upset at the mention of Radcliffe's name She was held back only by Kaia's firm grip on her shoulder. " Your governor is torturing one of your good men this second!" Kaia's eyes widened, feeling worry knot her stomach. The man had risked so much already. She turned to the King once again.

"Where is John Rolfe?" The King shrugged helplessly.

"If he's still alive, he would most likely be at the top of the tower. It is the more secure." Nodding, Kaia turned to her temporary group.

"We have to split up. I'm going to go and get John Rolfe on my own."

"Wait, Kaia, no-" Kaia cut her off.

"There are too many of us Pocahontas. It is simplest for me to go by myself. Take Smith and the King and Queen to the forest, where Rika, Donald, Goofy, Sora and Axel should be hiding. If they're not, sneak out to the shipyard. They should be there planning to steal a ship." Kaia glanced ruefully at the king, who was looking extremely confused at the unfamiliar language exchange between the two girls. "I'm sorry you majesty, but the rest of my party is planning to steal a ship." The King face confused look cleared, and he waved his hand indifferently.

"Whatever one you choose, it's yours. But, I must ask if you can help me overthrow Radcliffe before you depart. If we don't stop him, the native people will be wiped out in the New World, and England will go into chaos." Kaia nodded.

"Talk to my friends, Rika, Sora and Axel. But you'll know them better as Amelia, Alfred and Isaac." The King's mouth dropped open in shock.

"What?" Kaia heard footsteps coming, so she closed her hand around the crystal.

"They came to appeal to you to stop destroying the New World, and leave it alone for the Natives to live there in peace."

"But-But, Lady Helene!" Kaia smiled.

"An extremely close friend of ours." The King nodded dejectedly, even though it was lost in the dark.

"Alright."

"Good." She turned to Pocahontas. "Go!" She whispered severely. Somewhere in the darkness, she had a feeling that Pocahontas nodded. The four slipped out the door they came in. Praying that they were safe, Kaia released the crystal in her hand, letting its light fill the corridor. It was time to continue her mission.


	31. Overthrown

"Can't you do something to stop Radcliffe?" Sora demanded the Fairy Godmother, who had joined them after their escape. She had disappeared during the party in order to prevent being seen during the capture. She had planned to free them, but Kaia had beat her to it. The Fairy Godmother shook her head.

"I am a Fairy Godmother. My magic, it's not permanent."

"Then how did you get the King to think you were a noblewoman?" Sora demanded, not meaning to sound rude.

"At the stroke of midnight, he'll realize that I've deceived him." The Fairy Godmother said sorrowfully. As if on cue, the clock clanged, notifying them it was midnight. Sora sighed, turning to his friends.

"Time to steal a boat."

"You mean a ship." Axel corrected.

"Gawrsh, Donald and I saw a good one coming in!" Goofy volunteered.

"Yeah! It's really big!" Donald cackled, running deeper into the woods. The ship yard was located at the other side. And since they couldn't risk going around, in fear of being seen, the plan was to run deeper into the woods.

"What are you pansies waiting for?" Rika demanded, coming back from behind the tree she had been keeping watch from. Sora gaped at her.

"What happened to your poufy dress?" He demanded. Rika was dressed in her regular mission clothes.

"The dress was from the Fairy Godmother's spell dummy." Rika said, rolling her heads. "Your clothes are back to normal too." Sora realized this to be true. His hands flew to his hair.

"Aw man! My hair is still straight!" He groaned.

"Mine too dimwit. We're just going to have to deal with it until we can get Blythe to fix it.

"Kaia." Sora corrected, turning to follow his friends into the woods.

****

Kaia stood behind a pillar, barely allowing herself to breath. She listened to the guards surrounding John Rolfe's cell gossiping merrily on what England would be like under the rule of Radcliffe.

"Sick." Kaia muttered, swinging around, using the pillar for leverage. She jumped up with the stealth of a cat, knocking the guards' helmets off, catching them neatly when she landed, so they wouldn't make much of a ruckus.

"Hey!" They yelled, drawing their swords. They rushed at her, but Kaia dodged neatly, used to sword thrusts far worse when she practiced with Rika. She caught one sword between her palms and disarmed the guard. She kicked him in the chest, effectively knocking him over. She then swung her newfound weapon over to disarm the other guard. She hit him with the wide part of the sword, and the guard slumped forward, unconscious.

"B.S." Kaia muttered, thinking of the King's statement how the top tower was secure. But, just to be on the safe side, she grabbed a full length of rope from her pack and tied the two guards securely together. Tightening the knot with her teeth, she quickly rushed to the lock on the cell.

"John? I'm here to bust you out." Kai whispered, picking the lock. Once she freed the lock, she realized he had not replied. "John?" She whispered, yanking the door open. She practically ran into the cell, slipping on a wet patch in the middle of the cell. Luckily, she caught herself with her hand. "Crap." She muttered, holding her crystal up to see if John could be found. But, her eyes were drawn to the hand she had used to break her fall. It was bright red. Covered in blood. "Oh God." Kaia mumbled, quickly turning the light to the place she had slipped. She saw a giant puddle of blood, with a smear where her foot had slid. Panicking, Kaia held up her crystal, finally locating John Rolfe. He was slumped in the corner of the cell; his head slumped on his chest.

"John?" She asked, kneeling down in front of him. She pressed two fingers to his pulse point on his throat. He didn't say anything. "Oh my God." She muttered again, bringing John up so that she was supporting him on her shoulder. She dragged him out of the cell and started the long climb down the tower and out the dungeon.

****  
"I understand why you did it…and as King, I've decided to forgive you." King James announced to the Fairy Godmother, as the group gathered resources from the ship and prepared themselves for a face- off. The Fairy Godmother nodded politely.

"You guys ready?" Sora asked Donald and Goofy. They nodded.

"We're always ready for a battle to improve the greater good of the world." Donald announced, lightly tapping his staff against his open palm.

"Guys! Kaia's back!" Axel shouted from the doorway. Glancing at each other, they ran outside to see Kaia jump lithely aboard the boat, supporting a badly bleeding John Rolfe.

"John!" Sora cried, kneeling next to him once Kaia had placed him carefully aboard the ship. Sora summoned his keyblade, but Kaia held up a hand to stop him.

"No Sora. Don't waste your magic. Let me take care of this." She removed the crystal from her neck. Sora couldn't help but stare at its brilliance.

"It's beautiful." He whispered in awe. Kaia nodded, before lightly touching John Rolfe's chest wound. She then immediately replaced her hand over the wound, holding her hand over the wound before removing it. Her hand print remained for ten seconds before fading away, leaving no trace of the once fatal wound.

"Wow." Donald said softly. Goofy nodded in agreement. Kaia smiled, and turned to meet Pocahontas' eyes. Pocahontas smiled and mouthed, 'sister tribe.' Kaia could barely control her smile from going wider. She was starting to believe it herself.

****

"Okay, for this to work, we have to split up into Partners." Rika said, standing on top of the wheel of the boat, pushing her feet up and down to stay balanced. "I'll partner with Kaia- since we've worked together the longest. Axel, partner up with John Smith and Sora, Donld and Goofy partner up together. Understand?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Pocahontas, Fairy Godmother, stay here to watch the ship and appeal your case to King James. Plus, take care of John Rolfe." Pocahontas and the Fairy Godmother nodded.

"I will do my best. I owe him my life and safety of my tribe if this works." Pocahontas said solemnly.

"Great. Okay, Kaia and I will go through the roof, John Smith and Axel, take the side of the castle, and Sora you and your team take the front. And everyone gets one of these too. These are bombs that will help you get into the castle. They take one minute to explode. Everyone got it?" Again, everyone nodded to show their understanding. "Good. Go!" Kaia and Rika leaped off the ship first, before disappearing into the forming fog. Axel and John Smith followed not far, although John Smith was much less graceful then Axel in getting off the boat. Sora turned to his two friends.

"This is going to be just like old times guys." He said happily.

"Gawrsh Sora I guess you're right!" Goofy said, happily high-fiving Sora.

"Yeah! No Kaia, no Rika and no Axel!" Donald chimed in.

"Let's go show them how good of a team we are!" Sora yelled, before jumping off the boat. Donald and Goofy followed, and the three best friends landed smoothly on the dock. As soon as their feet hit the ground, they started to run, keeping their line of sight on the castle, located in the centre on London.

****

"It's as if the world knows Radcliffe became King." Kaia muttered, swinging up to join Rika on the roof of the palace. They had just finished a rather nasty climb up the castle wall, due to the slippery bricks caused by the fog.

"I know. Here's the window, do you have the-"

"Got it." Kaia replied, giving Rika the tiny, chip-like bomb.

"Even after all this drama you can still read my mind." Rika teased, placing the bomb on the window. The small bomb was called a 'silent bomb.' It literally exploded with no sound. But, there was still a risk of them being heard, for the stone of the roof would most likely hit the floor below.

"Yup. Rika, do you regret that we came on this adventure?" Kaia asked, backing away along with Rika.

"Actually no. You discovered your past Kaia, which is honestly the best thing that could have happened to you. You learned more about me, which in a way, makes us closer and more in sync. And I found Axel again. I hate to admit it, but we have a lot to thank the little twerp for." Kaia laughed, knowing she meant Sora.

"You're right." She said, just as the bomb exploded.

"Quick!" Rika ordered, as both girls swung into the newfound hole.

****

John Smith and Axel lined up against the wall on the side.

"Can you imagine what rewards we'll get from the King after all this?" John Smith asked dreamily.

"Nope." Axel retorted, wishing that John Smith had been paired up with someone else.

"A ship…a ship I could travel the world with Pocahontas." John Smith said languorously. Axel raised his eyebrows.

"Wouldn't she want to go home?" He asked. John Smith looked shocked.

"But I'm not going to be there. Why would she want to do that?" Axel sighed, and turned his head away, wishing that his partner wasn't so stupid. He took the 'silent bomb' Rika had given him before their departure and placed it carefully on the section of the wall he thought that would be best to break and enter into.

"Rika said we had to wait a minute before it exploded." Axel said, backing away.

"What's going on between you and that girl?" John Smith asked nosily. Axel blanched.

"Nothing." John Smith squinted at him.

"Doesn't seem that way…"

"Are you drunk?" Axel demanded.

"No."

"Then stop acting like it." Axel said coldly, turning his back to John. Thirty seconds later, the bomb exploded.

"Whoa!" John Smith exclaimed.

"Move it!" Axel yelled, and the two men rushed into the castle.

****

Sora, Donald and Goofy finally skidded to a stop at the front of the castle.

"Okay, where should we put the bomb?" Sora mused, tossing the small object in his hand.

"How about at the door?" Donald suggested. Sora nodded.

"That's probably the only spot we can put it anyways." Carefully, Sora set the bomb at the front of the door.

"How much longer do you think it'll take?" Donald asked quietly. Sora turned to Donald.

"What do you mean buddy?"

"When we will get home? And will it be the last time? I mean I've spent so much time away from Daisy in the past couple years." He said sadly. Sora realized with a jolt that they had been gone for almost two months. And they were hardly anywhere closer to completing the mission. They still had to get to Paris for crying out loud!

"This will hopefully be the last time Donald." Sora said. "But I can't make any promises."

"I know." Donald sighed.

"Daisy loves you Donald. In fact, when we go home, you should propose to her hu-yuck!" Donald turned red.

"That's actually not a bad idea Donald!" Sora said, supporting Goofy. Donald opened his mouth to reply, but the bomb had gone off, and the doors were ripped off their hinges and were falling towards them.

"Aw…phooey…" Donald said, fleeing the point of impact. The two great doors crashed down, splintering wood flying everywhere.

"Well…at least the doors are open!" Sora said optimistically, before darting inside, followed closely by Donald and Goofy.

****

"So you see your majesty, there is no gold." Pocahontas finished. King James stroked his beard.

"Considering what your friends have done for me, I think I can fulfill this request once I resume the throne." Pocahontas broke into a smile a pure happiness.

"Thank you so much your majesty." Pocahontas said, bowing. A groan came from the hammock in the other room. "Excuse for a moment please." She said, rushing off to the next room. She entered to see John Rolfe yanking on his boots. "No!" John Rolfe's head snapped up.

"What?"

"You have to rest! You were hurt very badly!" John Rolfe looked her up and down appraisingly.

"But- Radcliffe-"

"Is being taken care of. Please rest John." Pocahontas replied, gently removing his boots away from his reach. John Rolfe nodded.

"Alright."

"May I ask you something John?" Pocahontas asked. After he nodded, she went on. "Tell me, why did you want to save us? We have never met."

"Not all white men need both sides of the story before deciding which one is wrong." John replied. "You were there first. It is our duty to respect that." Pocahontas examined John Rolfe. He was a broad shouldered man, and definitely not ugly. In fact, he was rather handsome. His hair was brown and tied up in a low ponytail, bringing out his deep green eyes, which were filled with more intelligence and understanding then John Smith's were. She smiled at him.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem really." John Rolfe answered.

"Please rest then. You were injured quite badly." John Rolfe saluted. When Pocahontas closed the door behind her, her smile was still set strongly on her face.

****

Kaia and Rika rushed into the throne room, seeing Sora, Donald and Goofy coming from the front and John Smith and Axel coming out from the side. Eventually they all skidded into the centre, and turned to face the throne. Sitting in the throne was none other then the slimy Radcliffe himself. His horrendous face turned up into a sneer when he saw them.

"Well well well…isn't it our little welcome party."

"We're no welcome party." Sora snapped. "We're here to finish you!" He yelled, point his keyblade at Radcliffe. Radcliffe chuckled, a chilling evil laugh that froze every member of the party.

"I'd like to see you try!" He laughed, standing up. "I've sold my heart to darkness…I am UNSTOPABLE!" With that, his exterior melted away and doubled in size.

"A heartless boss." Sora yelled, diving aside to dodge the tail that struck the marble floor. Sora rolled to his feet, taking in the sight of the hideous heartless monster. It was purple and silver, like the majority of the heartless bosses they fought. But this one was different. Instead of black accents, it had green. It was board shouldered, and it had two clawed feet and muscular arms attached to clawed hands. It had a long, whip like tail that it kept thrashing everywhere.

"God!" Rika yelled, as the tail flipped back, barely missing her. She sprang forward, her keyblade gripped tightly in her hand. She swiped at the heartless monster, before landing lithely on her feet. Kaia sent off her laser arrows constantly, deflecting off the monster's armour. Sora jumped in for the attack. The Radcliffe Heartless tried to block him with his tail, but Sora cleanly sliced off five feet of tail from the tip. Roaring in pain, The Radcliffe Monster doubled over in pain.

"Kaia!" Rika yelled, her form surrounded by a light glow of fire. She sprang at the beast again, slashing the beast's chest. A six foot slash appeared in on his chest. Axel sprang, thrashing his weapons viscously at Radcliffe's heartless. Goofy threw his shield like a boomerang at the threat, and Donald blasted lightning attacks at him. Kaia released a water powered arrow, followed quickly by a earth arrow, which successfully took off another two feet of the Heartless' tail.

"We'll have to charge all at once!" Sora yelled, whipping his keyblade up again. "GO!" The six friends charged at the Heartless Boss, power swirling around them like an unstoppable force. Sora sent blizzard attacks at the Heartless before jumping up for the final strike. Rika, Axel sprang up with their weapons and Kaia jumped with her unsheathed dagger. Donald and Goofy jumped, spinning and blasting random bursts of magic. Their final strikes hit the Radcliffe Heartless at the same time. The noise of the impact was deafening. The Radcliffe Heartless roared in pain, before dissolving before their very eyes.

"Oh yeah! We make an awesome team!" Sora said, high fiving Donald and Goofy.

"Well…that was a hard fight. I'm exhausted!" John Smith said, yawning. The six companions turned to glare at him. He had done nothing.

****

"Ready to head back?" Kaia asked Rika, who was leaning out towards the ocean. Rika straightened up.

"Definitely. We need to get moving. We have to get back to Arrow to find the journal." Kaia nodded.

"Kaia! Ulrika!" The two girls turned around to see the King striding towards them. He had changed his clothes, replaced his crown on his head and combed his beard.

"Your majesty," Kaia said, bowing. The King waved her off.

"Not necessary. You and your friends have done much for London. And for that, I thank you."

"It was no problem." Kaia said kindly. She looked around. "Where's John Smith?"

"I gave him a ship as his gift." The King replied. "He already left." Rika saw the look of disappointment cross her friend's face.

"Pocahontas probably went with him." Kaia said sadly. " I wish she said goodbye."

"I did not go with him though." Kaia's head snapped up at the different language spoken to her. She was becoming better at recognizing when she listening and speaking different languages.

"Pocahontas?" Kaia asked, incredulously. "I thought you and-"

"He cared more about his own happiness then mine." Pocahontas said sadly. "So I refused to go with him." But Kaia sensed a different reason.

"You don't love him anymore. Or at least not as much as you once had." Pocahontas nodded.

"My heart…it is drifting towards someone else." Kaia glanced up and saw John Rolfe talking with the captain. He saw Pocahontas looking at him and he smiled. Pocahontas smiled quickly and looked away, blushing. Kaia grinned before turning back to Rika and the King, switching to English.

"As I was saying…thank you for everything. The natives will be left alone."

"Thank you." Kaia said, watching as the King nodded and bowed to them, before getting off the ship. She leaned on the railing with Rika, as the ship blew its horn and departed from the docks.

*****

"Where are you taking me?" Kaia demanded Pocahontas, as Pocahontas guided her through the forest, her hands over Kaia's eyes.

"You will see. I want you to leave with a piece of advice in your head." Kaia felt the willow tree leaves brush across her face. Pocahontas finally removed her hands from Kaia's face. They were back in Grandmother Willow's grove.

"Pocahontas I-"

"Sit on the stump." Pocahontas said, pushing Kaia towards it. Sighing, Kaia obeyed, sitting on the stump. Grandmother Willow immediately appeared, with a smile on her face.

"I have been waiting a long time to talk to you Kaia. You have a question for me." Kaia was baffled. She didn't have a question for Grandmother Willow!

"I don't think I have a-"

"Listen to your heart child. What do you want to ask me?" Kaia closed her eyes, before the words came pouring out of her mouth without her permission.

"Why can't I summon my keyblade? I've discovered my past, seen my destiny, and come closer to finding my family! Why can't I summon it?" Grandmother Willow looked at Kaia gently.

"Because child, to summon your keyblade, you must come to terms with all aspects of your past. To gain your keyblade, you must face the past, before you can move on with the future."

"But I have faced my past!" Kaia said, burying her face in her hands.

"What does your heart say?" Grandmother Willow asked softly. "You know there's one more thing to face." Kaia opened her eyes and looked at Grandmother Willow.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome child. Now hurry! Your friends are waiting." Kaia nodded, and stood up and embraced Pocahontas.

"Even if our paths never cross again, I will never forget what you and your tribe have done for me." Kaia whispered. "Thank you so much."

"Our paths will cross again sister." Pocahontas said softly. "Come back for a visit once you have found your home." Kaia nodded, sniffing.

"Goodbye." She choked out.

"Goodbye." Pocahontas said, her voice equally thick. The two girls parted ways. Pocahontas went to visit John Rolfe in the Settler's Village. Kaia boarded the Gummi Ship, which took off to Arrow, in search of more answers.


	32. Unreadable Journal

"Okay guys, Kaia will show you to the books." Rika waved everyone off as she ran down the usual metallic hallway from their mansion in Arrow.

"Alright the book is in our library." Kaia slowly walked up to the stair case and descended into the lower floor of the mansion. The hallways bright, yet with no lights anywhere to be seen, naturally making the hallway seem so artificial.

"Where did Rika go off to?" Sora asked as Kaia stopped in front of a door on their left. she punched in a code to the right of the sliding mechanical door as it soon opened, making a Heavy scraping noise as it slowly closed behind them once they all had gone through.

"She probably went to her room." Blythe responded casually as Sora looked around the room, the library had a hard tile floor With light grey shading, black iron book shelves 10X taller then them lined one after another neatly flowing across the room.

"Why would she go there?" Sora remembered the one time he saw Rika's room; the time he thought she was dead when she was really just sleeping.

"Oh, that was just the entrance to her room, she has another that I haven't actually seen." Kaia walked past many bookshelves, all looking identical however suddenly came to a stop.

"You've never been curious to see it?" Sora asked, he was walking with his hands behind his head, slightly leaning back and walking aloofly, taking no particular interest in helping to find the book.

"It's locked." Kaia responded in a monotone voice, not really paying attention to Sora, instead intently looking into a book she had just pulled out.

"So you've tried to see her room though right?" Sora mocked.

"Here it is!" Kaia yelled excitedly pointing to ratty brown book, with a single rune decorating the cover. Everyone gathered round and started reading the book.

"So you guys found the book?" Rika asked as she walked up to the group.

"Yeah, so let u-" Sora stopped in midsentence and looked towards Rika and realized something. "Rika what is that?" Sora pointed toward right hand, a mark had appeared in the shape of a black flower, pedals flowing beautifully and a white gem in the middle of it.

"A part of the Kingdom stone?" Donald asked with the thoughts of precious jewels engulf his mind.

"Now wouldn't that just be ridiculous." Rika pointed out leaving Sora to want to ask why that would be so ridiculous. "If the Kingdom stone were so easy to get we'd all have one." Rika looked away while insecurely holding her right hand.

"You didn't always have that on your hand." Sora pointed out suspiciously."

"That's because it was an experiment." Rika replied matter-of-factly.

"So what's the point of it?" Kaia asked, never doing an experiment like that with Rika.

"It was done a bit before you, an I wasn't the one who conducted the experiment. It's useless and will go away soon, I promise." Rika smiled and looked back at her hand, with the mark gone. "See?" Rika smiled even brighter, confidently. "it really was a waste of an experiment, but I really do like the design." everyone nodded, and Rika then turned back towards the book, starting to read the many pages on the kingdom stone.

"Can I flip the page?" Kaia asked with everyone but Rika saying no. the two of them read to fast, leaving the others to try to keep up with their speed and therefore reading without comprehending. In fact, Rika and Kaia couldn't understand the book either. It was written entirely in a different language. They were trying to find a page with semi- similar words that they could relate to.

"Sora, don't you just want to go home to your island and spend your days without Kairi?" Rika asked out of the blue, Axel and Kaia looked at her while thinking of their own homes and families. "You know, go home and not have to save the world for all your life." Rika chuckled lightly as Sora looked up, not used to Rika or Kaia even taking a real interest in his past and thoughts.

"It was fun, and I miss home but I'm always with Kairi even when we're not together." Sora scratched placed a hand on his head and laughed. "I guess that doesn't make much sense. But as long as the world needs me I'll be there and if Kairi needs me I van always go see her. I'll never let her go." Sora said strongly and compassionately as he dropped his hands into fists and looked intently at Rika causing her to be slightly uncomfortable.

"Rika," Axel whispered. "Your room, is it like the one back home?" Axel asked Rika suspiciously confirming his point.

"Then you still have my watch you stole." Rika laughed and replied yes, remembering her dad giving Axel a golden pocket watch which she stole, then put it on her desk, saying to him that her room will stay that way forever so that watch would never move.  
Kaia gasped an idea flooding into her head of the location of the Kingdom Stone, she quickly ran off forgetting to tell the others of where the kingdom stone was.

"Kaia!!" Rika hollered cheerfully, "I'm really happy you're back!" Kaia turned Round And ran back to them.

"Sorry! It was a reflex to act fast! We can't let the kingdom stone be stolen." Kaia took a gasp of air and begun explaining the situation at hand so far.

****

Kaia led everyone to the kitchen, saying happy hellos to their missed alien employees. Her two dragons followed her happily, and Rika's two dragons followed her. Kaia was glad. She had missed them terribly. After they all had assembled in the kitchen, Kaia opened the journal and pushed it into the middle of the table, taking care of the fragile pages as she flipped through it. Even though the situation had been urgent, she was now confident that Maleficent did not know a thing about the larger source of the Kingdom Stone. This gave them the time to concentrate on the more important problem at hand- the theft of Aegius Bell. According to Rika, they had at least one more day before the shield would be penetrated by the power of the Kingdom Stone.

"This is it." She said, finally stopping her flipping. She pointed to a star like object surrounded by various types of stone engraved with faces. "This is the source of that Kingdom Stone piece." Sora gazed at it in awe.

"So…where is it?"

"Well…I can't read the words." Kaia admitted sheepishly, running her hands across the runes on the page.

"Well…what use is that?" Axel demanded.

"It gives us a start." Kaia snapped, closing it and tucking it into the leather satchel that also contained their adventure journal. She had since finished recording their past events and promised herself that she would never get behind in that again. To re-write their entire adventures all at once was extremely tedious and boring work.

"Yeah, it gives us a basic idea where it is…and that the villains know nothing about this." Rika said, her eyes scanning the menu that she had missed dearly.

"Take it to go Rika." Sora said, standing up, his hands on the table. "We gotta get to Paris!"

****

With Goofy at his usual command as driver of the Gummi Ship, the rest of the team lounged in the lounge area of the ship. Kaia flipped through the journal, as if hoping by some miracle, she would be able to suddenly decipher the words. Rika, Sora, Donald and Axel played an epic video game as a team. With Rika's mad skills on the game, Sora and Donald got further then they ever had before. Eventually, all the exploding became too much for Kaia. She stood up and went to join Goofy in the control room.

"Hey Goofy." She said, flopping down beside him. Goofy looked at her sympathetically.

"Still can't read the journal?"

"No. I feel so dumb." She groaned. "This doesn't make any sense. I don't even know one word that relates to this situation." She glanced out the window, only seeing endless

miles of stars. A sudden beeping interrupted her observing.

"Gawrsh that'll be the King!" Goofy said cheerfully, reaching over to press the green button. Kaia switched her gaze to the screen, a smile spreading across her face when she saw the King and Riku pop up on the screen.

"Guys! The King and Riku are on the Com Screen!" She yelled. They had recently took to calling the video screen that showed incoming calls the 'Com Screen.' She heard the thumping of feet coming from the lounge area. Not long after, Sora, Donald, Rika and Axel filed into the control room and took their seat.

"Heya guys!" Mickey said, waving at the camera. Sora peered into the background.

"Hey, what are you guys doing in the Pridelands?" Mickey waved his hand.

"Just making sure Simba was alright."

"Is he?"

"He's fine. Anyways, that's not why we called."

"What did you call for then?" Sora inquired.

"To fill you in on what Riku and I have been doing."

"What have you been doing?" Rika demanded.

"We've been getting information on the villain group, to help you when you go to Paris. Trust me guys. Paris is not going to be easy. The villains are trying to break through as we speak. And they will succeed- very soon."

"But Rika said we had at least a day!" Sora said, dismayed at this bit of news.

"The Kingdom Stone speeds things up quite a bit." Mickey said sorrowfully. "Anyways, as you probably know, they're going to go and destroy the Aegius Bell. As you know, the Aegius Bell is the only constant force that can stop Chernabog."

"We beat him though!" Sora protested. Mickey shifted uncomfortably.

"The only reason you beat him Sora, is that somewhere, the Aegius Bell rang just as you delivered the final blow. That kills him. But, if the Aegius Bell is destroyed, Chernabog will be free to wreck havoc on all worlds. You must stop them Sora."

"We're on our way to Paris right now Mickey." Sora said, nodding towards the front window. "Anything else?"

"Yes. When you go to Paris, you'll be facing the entire villain team. Maleficent, Oogie Boogie, The Queen, Ursula, Captain Hook, Hades and Lady Tremaine. There is also a deadly addition to this team. The Horned King."

"Who?" Sora asked.

"He's tall, 'bout 6'5, tons of muscles, grey skin, likes to wear black." Riku listed off his fingers. Sora, Donald and Goofy met each others' shocked gaze. The body-guard guy!

"Red eyes?" Sora demanded, not able to get the image of the blood- red eyes out of his head. Mickey nodded gravely.

"I take it you've already seen him then."

"You could say so. He works for Chernabog!"

"He's Chernabog's right hand man. He does all his dirty work since Chernabog can't leave his cave, with the Aegius Bell being rung constantly." Riku said, flopping down on the ground. "You do realize that it took days of constant spywork and heartless fighting to find this information out? The Horned King is good at covering his tracks. It took a week before we actually found out his name."

"What about the Heartless?" Sora asked.

"They're everywhere the Horned King is." Mickey said austerely. "The Green Heartless-

he controls them. They are an army from a magical object called the Black Cauldron. The Black Cauldron produces an army of undead. With the influence of the Kingdom Stone, Maleficent moulded them into Heartless."

"So the Green Heartless are like zombie heartless?" Axel asked, earning snickers from Donald. Mickey nodded.

"They are the force behind the destruction of the worlds. Maleficent has only destroyed one world with the Kingdom Stone. And that was Destiny Islands." Sora blanched. He knew why Maleficent had selected to destroy Destiny Islands first.

"This is all my fault!" He mumbled.

"It wasn't your fault Sora." Goofy protested. "After we get the Kingdom Stone back, we still might be able to restore the lands."

"But we can't fuse the Kingdom Stone to a keyblade! What about it's-" Sora was caught off by Rika slapping a hand over his mouth.

"We're coming up to Paris Micks. We'll talk to you later." She said, pressing the off button on the Com Screen. She then released Sora. Sora whirled around, looking furious.

"What was that for? We need to tell the King about the larger source!"

"Are you an idiot Sora? You never know when communication is hacked. Right now, we are the ONLY ones who can know about the larger source, if we want to protect it. Shut up Mousie." Rika ordered, snatching the mouse box out of the air. She shook him until he turned off. Sora nodded dejectedly, seeing her point. Mickey would have to wait until they met face to face before he heard about this latest break in the case.

"Are we really coming up to Paris?" He asked.

"Yup." Goofy replied happily, turned the Gummi Ship to land. Sora felt a wave of relief go through his body after they finally landed in Paris. He turned to congratulate his team, but found that they all had extremely worried expressions on their face. Sora felt his stomach flip when he realized their crisis. They had landed. That meant the barrier was gone.


	33. Reunited

RUN!" Kaia yelled, as the group sprinted headlong into the centre of Paris. They were finally coming up to Notre Dame after pushing and shoving past many innocent civilians. Sora nearly tripped over his own feet, as he took in the majestic view of Notre Dame. The cathedral was huge, with a touch of sombre, dark and foreboding details on it. Yet, if Sora had come here on any other day that didn't involve a mad race to save all of humanity, he would see that the cathedral stood proudly in the centre of the square. It radiated hope and miracle that caused hundreds, or even thousands to flock into the church to pray to attract things to improve their life.

"We're never going to make it!" Sora panted as they slammed in to the huge doors, pushing and straining to open them. Finally with a creak, the doors opened enough for all six of them to slip inside.

"Keep going!" Axel shouted, leading the way up the stairs. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he allowed evil to take over the world again. He thought of the innocent children that were killed by evil. He thought of how he was unfairly imprisoned by evil. Evil had ruined his life. He heard Rika's footsteps catch up with him. He turned to meet her gaze, and saw her eyes were flashing and solidly determined. Evil would separate him from Rika too. He threw the narrow door open just in time to see the group of villains beating a man on the ground. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" He shouted, his order quickly being backed up by his friends flocking to each side of him. Kaia activated her laser bow (she still wasn't able to summon her keyblade yet), Rika and Sora summoned their keyblades, Donald brought out his staff and Goofy crouched behind his shield, tensed and ready to fight. Axel flipped out his own weapons.

"Well…if it isn't our first face off?" Maleficent sneered, purposely flashing the Kingdom Stone in their direction. Sora saw Kaia tense, and test out the spring of her bow.

"Face off." Rika snorted. "I've never lost a battle in my life. You're going down!" She hollered, charging. The rest followed. Sora charged with his keyblade, feeling his  
keyblade crash with Maleficent's staff. Suddenly, the entire room dissolved and disappeared, leaving them standing in an empty attic.

"What the hell!" Rika swore, kicking the nearest box. "What happened?"

"It was an illusion!" Kaia cried, her head whipping around.

"Are we even IN Notre Dame?" Axel wondered. A sudden groan drew their attention to a man on the floor. Kaia rushed to his side.

"Are you alright?" She asked, turning him over, barely refraining herself from gasping in shock. The man's face was horribly deformed, and his back was almost bent 90 degrees. He was bleeding horribly. Kaia quickly set to work, touching the crystal to his wounds and healing them. Sora, Rika, Axel, Donald and Goofy could only just stare at the man's face. Finally, after his wounds were healed, Kaia held her hand out to Rika, who wordlessly dropped a canteen in it. Sora couldn't help but see even though this journey had changed the two of them dramatically, they were still perfectly in sync. But, what would happen afterwards?

"Drink." Kaia ordered the man. He drank thirstily, savouring the water. When he had finished, he looked up at all of them.

"Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome." Sora answered. He knelt beside him. "What happened?" The man looked around.

"I'm not sure. But it looks like we're in the room above the bell tower."

"ABOVE?" Rika shrieked. "We were transported?" With that, she sprinted off towards the stairs, followed closely by Donald, Goofy and Axel. Sora looked at the door, then the man, not wanting to leave him alone.

"Go Sora. I'll look after him." Kaia ordered. "GO!" Nodding quickly, Sora followed his friends who had left for battle. Kaia turned back to her patient. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes." The man coughed. "Thank you."

"What is your name?" Kaia asked.

"Quasimodo." He replied. "What's yours?"

"Kaia." Quasimodo smiled.

"That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you." Kaia replied, standing up. "Do you need help standing up?" Shaking his head, Quasimodo stood on wobbly legs.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Heal me so quickly?"

"My family has…advanced healing techniques." Kaia answered, screwing the cap back on the canteen. When she finished, she saw him smiling. "What?"

"It's nice to know that there is still some good in this world. Those people…I thought they were beating me because I'm ugly."

"They beat anyone, regardless of their opinion or appearance." Kaia said softly. "Don't take it personally."

"My Master told me that people would be cruel to me if they saw me." Quasimodo said quietly.

"Why?" Kaia asked, touching the crystal on a scratch by his arm.

"I'm a monster." Kaia smiled and shook her head.

"I wouldn't believe your master. A good person doesn't judge someone based on how they look. You seem really sweet. It sounds like your master is the monster. Who is he?"

"Frollo." Quasimodo answered, down casting his eyes.

"Why do you serve him?"

"He took me in when no one else would. My mother abandoned me because of my…deformity."

"You've just been unlucky Quasimodo." Kaia said, grinning. "There are truly nice people in the world. And I think you've met at least one." Quasimodo blushed.

"Well, I did meet someone named Esmeralda."

"There you go! You gotta have some self- confidence Quasi! People will eventually see the real you. Don't believe a word of what your master says." Quasimodo nodded, and gave her a smile that radiated happiness. It was the type of smile that you couldn't help but smile back at. "Keep smiling like that Quasi, and people will smile back." Quasimodo nodded.

"Thank you Kaia."

A sudden crash sounded through the room. Kaia glanced towards the door. "Stay up here Quasimodo. I have to go help my friends." Quasimodo nodded.

"Can I do anything to help?"

"Actually, yes. Where do you keep the Aegius Bell?" His eyes widened.

"Oh no. They're after the Aegius Bell?" Kaia nodded.

"In the centre." Kaia nodded again, shooting Quasimodo a grateful look.

"Thank you Quasimodo." And with that, she flew out the door to help her friends.

****  
Sora ran down the stairs with his keyblade gripped tightly in his hand. He burst out the door, only to dodge Goofy's shield as it came spinning at him after being deflected by an attack. His head shot up to identify the attacker. He was tall, with a muscular build and dark chestnut spiky hair. His eyes were a piercing blue and he was dressed in a black t-shirt and loose tan pants which had overalls like straps crossing his shirt. In his right hand, he held the most enormous keyblade that Sora had ever seen. It was a mixture of bronze and blue and the design was simple, yet the keyblade was still a stunning piece of work. He saw the attacker's eyes narrow when he saw him.

"You." He hissed, raising his keyblade effortlessly. Sora shot a glance at Rika, Axel, Donald and Goofy.

"Go on ahead! I'll handle him!"

"Gawrsh, but Sora-"

"Just go Goofy!" Sora ordered, steadying himself in a fighting stance. "GO!"

"Be careful twerp." Rika said softly, before disappearing in the wind. Axel, Donald and Goofy followed her to start the final face-off. Sora turned his attention back to the attacker. He rushed at him, his keyblade raised. The attacker feinted easily and disarmed Sora. His next blow threw Sora across the room, due to the heaviness of his keyblade. This caused Sora to crash into a pile of wooden boxes, a loud thump to echoing across the room. The attacker approached him, his keyblade raised.

"And you were supposed to be the MASTER!" He seethed. "And to think me, a mere keyblader can defeat you in a only a couple of hits. He raised his immense keyblade again. "Say goodbye, keyblader." Sora frantically tried to summon his keyblade in time, but knew for it to be useless. This was it. He shut his eyes, waiting for the pain of death to come and hit him. But, it never came. Instead, there was a thud of weapon against weapon crashing together. Sora's eyes shot open, to see Kaia blocking the attackers blow, her arms shaking from the effort. But, the fact that she had saved his life did not sound off in his mind. It was what she was blocking the blow with. Kaia was tightly gripping a metallic grey and blue keyblade.

"Kaia, you-"

"Just go Sora. Grab your keyblade and help Rika. I'll take care of this." Kaia said, through gritted teeth, her eyes blazing, pushing against the attacker's keyblade with her own, throwing him across the room. Taking his chance, Sora ran, summoning his keyblade in the process. He burst out the door, leaving Kaia alone in the room with the attacker. After Sora had gone, Kaia tightened her grip on her keyblade.

"Terra." She stated coldly, with a mix of surprise. Terra couldn't have been more shocked.

"Kaia?" He whispered, as if he didn't believe she was real. "I- I can't believe it! It's you!

"In the flesh." She said good naturally. "What are you doing with these villains Terra? I thought you were on our side." She felt unwanted tears spring into her eyes. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON OUR SIDE!" She swung another blow at Terra, who just managed to block it.

"Kaia, wait-"

"No! I waited for you for years Terra! YEARS! You NEVER came back! You NEVER wrote! Until it was TOO late! I'm done waiting for you." She finished, her voice steely. "I don't care. If you're with these villains, then I will not hesitate to kill you."

"Kaia, look, I couldn't come back! It would have put you in danger!"

"Don't give me that!" Kaia yelled. "You're on the villains side! You've been hurting people Terra! The Terra I knew would NEVER even CONSIDER going on the side of darkness! I may have hurt people. And when I did I felt so horribly guilty, unless it was for the protection of my world and the people and things I care about! "

"Kaia, when I found out that you were gone, I heard that Maleficent had snatched you! I was only on the villains' side because I was trying to find you!"

"And why are you still with them?" Kaia demanded.

"Because, the thought of you and Destiny Islands was the only thing that kept me going!" Terra shouted, springing up before Kaia could hit him again. "I thought you were dead!" Kaia stared at him, churning emotion in her stomach.

"What now then?" She asked quietly. Terra opened his mouth before an explosion of bronze and other metals rained down on top of them. Kaia looked up, before falling to the floor in defeat. She picked up the pieces of the Aegius Bell in her hands and gripped them tightly. "We failed." She whispered, slumping forward.

****

"Let's start a riot~" Rika came singing as she walked past the door and appeared at Kaia and Terra who was shielding her with his body.

"Rika! The Aegius Bell!" Kaia yelled in defeat.

"Yeah." Rika smiled lightly as she looked on the ground where the pieces of the bell had fallen. The light seemed to be oddly serene as it floated throughout the whole room.

"Rika, the bell! It's over! Chernabog is free to come out whenever he wants!" Kaia yelled in frustration. Terra looked beside him at Kaia, with his eyes scrunched up in worry for her.  
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "It's all my fault." He bowed his head in shame. Kaia looked at Terra. So much had happened and her head was swimming with thoughts throwing her in confusion.

"It's not your fault." Rika said with the same smile.

"Rika are you okay?" Kaia asked not sure if Rika was sane anymore or not.

"Sora got a slight bump on the head but Donald and Goofy are taking care of it. As for me, I could be a bit better." Rika smriked as she bent down and picked up a chunk of the bell wavering it around. Trying to say if the bell were still there she'd be happier.

"Kaia, I see you found Terra. Did you sort everything out?" Rika asked as she walked a bit closer, standing in front of them as they both rose up to face her eye to eye.

"Yeah, I think we'll be fine." Kaia responded suspiciously while turning to look at Terra with her usual act of forgiveness. "But what are we going to do about the villains? It's hopeless." Kaia started to have a breakdown, "we've accomplished nothing! We've been on this stupid journey trying to protect everything but it's all gone! With this everything was a waste! WHAT WAS IT ALL FOR?!" Kaia yelled letting her frustration out. She turned to Terra who tried to comfort her. But Kaia didn't pay attention.

"Oh, so much about that was so wrong." Rika laughed. "You silly kid, tricks are for kids." Rika responded in an odd voice, causing Kaia to force a smile. "What? You're so weird." She laughed, turning face Rika, who she knew was trying to make her feel better.

"Kaia, first off we have your healing powers. Two we know where an even larger power is," Rika's eyes twinkles as she hinted towards the large power source of the Kingdom Stone. "Now that you have Terra, our group is technically complete right? We can do this, after all every good story has an ending with good triumphs over evil." Kaia looked oddly at Rika.

"You said you think those stories are stupid and never really happen." RIka laughed.

"I believe that too. But my point is to get your confidence back. I just want you to look at your usual bright side. Whether you were Blythe or Kaia you always had such a great heart. Rather refreshing right? Now where did that go, for you to have been so depressed lately." Rika pointed at Kaia's heart. "Now THAT is your darkness, in YOUR heart. Everyone has some of that right?" Rika smiled as Kaia thought over what she said. Thought of all the turmoil she has felt since her knowledge of the past. She smiled thinking of all the good times she's had as opposed to the past which haunted her. "I feel much better." Kaia whispered.

"And don't worry if you're upset about losing that 'precious' darkness, people always have it in them, it's not a bad thing but rather a necessity for people to grow." Rika said with a look of wisdom written across her face. "Well, that's what I think. You can find your own cool outlook on it." Rika added playfully.

"Rika, why are you so happy now of all times?" Rika looked at Kaia intently in the eyes.

"How should I say it... I guess it would be...that I grew up on my own right? No adult supervision or telling me how to be raised. I was a kid trying to play the role of an adult, being isolated and blah blah blah. It just messes a person up a bit, which I know isn't an excuse." Rika said as she rolled her eyes at Kaia. "You turned out great despite your situation." Rika added with another grin. "However I never got to let loose. Then you came it was better, I had fun working with you and being more expressive but it was always just the two of us! We understood each other perfectly so I guess expressive wasn't something we needed to understand each other." Rika said loudly thinking of good times. "Then Sora and the rest came, the past came to bite us in the ass and I decided I was going to just do what I want, I think I need to let go a little." Rika said with a relaxed stretch.

"And you haven't let go already?" Kaia joked. "When did you decide this?" Kaia asked, not realizing when Rika had become so much mellower.

"While the bell fell and you had a mental break down." Rika responded with her face blank.

"I thought you went ahead?" Kaia, was now confused.

"Yeah but Axel and I got trapped and Sora got hurt on the head...oh so that brings me to saying can you help Axel out? Donald and Goofy should be able to help you on that. They know where he is, I told them already." Rika spinned in a circle happily, and randomly while ignoring Terra who was silently and patiently listening to everything.

"Why can't you go get him?" Kaia asked, sure that that would be the first thing Rika would do.

"I'm in my own predicament!" Rika hollered.

"Like what?" Terra asked, now officially confused.

"Well, I don't know how long it will take for me to get out so naturally I'd make sure you two are okay before I go." Rika inquired while she stood a couple feet away from them standing where the light shined the brightest.

"But you're here with us." Terra said quickly.

"Well if you'd let me finish my story it would be a bit clearer! So shut it boy!" Rika made a mouth with her fist and made it shut.

"So what's going on Rika?" Kaia asked patiently.

"I dunno, I think my body is trapped somewhere in this stupid building." Rika looked around as if she expected to see herself somewhere near them.

"G-ghost?" Terra asked shocked.

"Wow, you've got a brainer right there." Rika commented sarcastically as she pointed at Terra with shock of him thinking she was a ghost.

"Rika." Kaia pressured at Rika's comment as Rika sighed.

"I'm not a ghost but you were semi-close." Rika smiled and ran up to Terra. "You have two more guesses, and Kaia no helping him." Rika began to walk around him whispering 'no pressure' to make him feel pressured.

"I don't know." Terra said unbelieving as to how much time they were wasting.

"I'm sorry but I'm bored." Rika kicked the ground and looked back up with a more serious face.

"Well, I made it to the stairs then I got teleported somewhere. All I can say for description is that I'm surrounded by grey stone walls all around, no exits no entrances though yes I will continue to check for some still." Rika said as Kaia looked at her with her feeling helplessness again.

"However! I don't want you to look for me! I've got some juicy information, excited?" Rika asked with her smile drifting on her face again.

"What?" Kaia asked depressingly, itching to deny not looking for Rika.

"Go back to that cafe we went to before and you'll get to beat up one of the villains. I don't know which one but on my way teleporting to this place I SWEAR I heard someone which had to have been a villain right? That they should go back to the cafe. Sooo I'm guessing there's also a good reason for that villain to go there." Rika finished smiling brilliantly at her good work with the information.

"But-" Rika shook her head maddeningly.

"No! You go right now before it's too late! Beat the person there -which i know you guys can do- and then interrogate them for your next step!" Rika said boldly, not letting Kaia argue back.

"Fine, what are you going to do then?" Kaia asked in defeat.

"Psssh, no place can keep me trapped. I'll try blowing the place up somehow, melting it maybe. My wind doesn't wok though." Rika said with a shrugged. "Oh, have you found out how I'm here but not here, yet?" Rika asked, quizzing Kaia.

"You're wind did work, it escaped, just not you yourself. So you let it take your form." Rika nodded, Terra still unsure of how that was possible however every person in a different world has different rules apply to them. Peter Pan could even fly even better Rika and Kaia were known to be brilliantly smart.

"So you know what you're doing?" Rika asked.

"Yeah, go back to the cafe and we have to get THAT power." Kaia hinted.

"My phone is on the ship, but I'll find a way to find you. I'm pretty good at that. And who knows, maybe you'll find me." Rika snickered.

"I don't get it." Terra began. "She's right here, how could she be stuck somewhere else?" Terra charged forward at Rika, Rika not even flinching as he approached.

"Bye Kaia, take the spot light 'kay? I'll beat up Sora and Axel for not helping you when I get back." Terra went to grab her arm but ended up swiping air. As his fingertips touched where the image of Rika's arm was, it floated away with the rest of Rika's image not even leaving a foot print behind. A strong wind blew across Kaia's and Terra's face as it disappeared leaving Kaia and Terra behind.

"We should go get started on heading back to the cafe. Let's get everyone and save Axel quickly." KAia grabbed Terra by the arm and pulled him along.

"You're not worried?" Terra asked surprised of Kaia's strength.

"Nope." Kaia responded with a smile similar to Rika's plastered on her face. Terra looked as Kaia, thinking of the past, the present and the future her. How much she had changed and yet how much about her had stayed the same.

"Rika's smile is contagious I guess." Kaia whispered as she happily marched to where Sora was, filled with hope of a bright future burning up inside her. She was ready to go with her friends and save the world for preferably the very last time.


	34. Third Time's The Charm!

Kaia and Terra ran down the stairs of Notre Dame, before coming out in the cathedral. Skidding on the marble floor, Kaia yanked on Terra's arm to pull him the right direction- behind her. When they reached the gate, they push the great doors open and burst out into the sunlight. Kaia bounced on her heels as she scanned the square. She groaned in frustration.

"God I have no idea where they are!" She said. "My visits of Paris have usually not have gone past Maléfique!" Kaia started to panic. "We have no time to go to the café and interrogate various villains, when we have to find the stupid jail. Who knows where they could be?"

"She said grey…maybe since Axel, Sora, Donald and Goofy were with her, they'd be in the same place…do you have a map of some sort?" Kaia brightened.

"A map! Terra you're a genius!"

"Already?" He asked, confused. He watched Kaia removed the familiar crystal necklace from her neck. In the last years he had known her as a child, she had stopped wearing it, afraid to lose it.

"That reminds me," Terra said, removing a silver chain from his neck. Kaia gasped when he dangled it in front of her.

"My locket!" She said, astounded, grasping it with her other hand. She smiled at the similarities between the blue stone in her locket and the crystal. She had never made that connection before today.

"By the way, you didn't take the picture of your parents out." Terra said, opening it for her. Inside, was the picture Kaia remembered. It was the goofy picture of her and Terra at his birthday party. Carefully, she lifted the picture of them out, revealing the picture of her parents and her, as a two year old. Kaia beamed to herself. She now had faces to put on her parents. Snapping the locket shut, she put it and the small photo of her and Terra in the leather satchel.

"No time for this." She said, holding the crystal out in front of her, looking ridiculous.

"Kaia…what are you doing?" Terra asked quietly, as the third passer-by looked at them oddly.

"My crystal is related to the Kingdom Stone somehow. Rika took Mousie with her. Mousie has several particles of dust being used to function. If I'm correct, my crystal will lead us to them." She smiled triumphantly as the crystal started to glow when she held it up north of where they were standing. Smirking at Terra, she started to walk where her crystal light shone the brightest. Terra sighed, but a smile crossed his face. She really hadn't changed a bit.

*****  
"Uhhh…" Sora groaned, opening his eyes before blinking rapidly. Something tickled his nose and he sneezed loudly. He turned his head to see the source of the ticklish object. It was a piece of straw. Come to think of it, he was lying on a full bed of straw. Moaning, he sat up, holding his head, as if he thought that would stop the world from spinning.

"Sora's awake!" Donald rejoiced. Sora grinned painfully and moved to stand up- and was promptly yanked down by the chains encircling his wrists.

"What the-?" He muttered, glancing up at his friends. Rika was leaning against the wall, her messy, knotted hair almost completely covering her face. Axel's hair was scraggly, and his face was bruised from being beaten by their captors. Donald and Goofy were sitting about two feet away from him, both looking dishevelled and weak. Sora immediately summoned his keyblade, unlocking his handcuffs as well as everyone else's.

"Thanks pipsqueak." Axel said, rubbing his wrists where the handcuff had assaulted his wrist.

"What happened?" Sora asked, still feeling a bit disoriented.

"We were transported as soon as we ran to face off Maleficent." Rika replied, flipping her hair back from her face. "We fell into this save thing filled with bones and water, like a sewer. We were disoriented from the transport and we were ambushed by skeletons. And since I 'left' my body for a bit, I couldn't save your butts. See what happens to you guys when I'm not around?" She finished. Sora opened his mouth to counter with the fact that he had been unconscious too, but instead he gasped and his eyes become as wide as saucers.

"The Aegius Bell! Kaia! We just left her there!"

"Relax. The guy she was fighting, that was Terra. They're good now. As for the Aegius Bell, it was destroyed by the villains. And Kaia and Terra are coming to find us…well technically you guys, but I didn't know I'd end up in the same place as you people." Everyone in the cell gasped. Sora's shoulders slump forward in defeat.

"We failed." He stated simply. "Now the world is doomed."

"No it's not." Rika countered. "We know about the larger source of the Kingdom Stone."

"We don't even know where it is Rika! We have Kaia's gut and a book we can't read! How is that going to help us find the Kingdom Stone?!" Sora exploded, his anger radiating off him in waves.

"Relax Sora." Rika snapped. "I've known Kaia for awhile. She'll find us." A sudden buzzing sound in her pocket drew everyone's gaze to her. Rika shoved her hand in her pocket, pulling out a very perturbed Mousie.

"Mousie!" Sora exclaimed happily, snatching the mouse box out of Rika's hand. He did his best to straighten Mousie's ears, which had been bent after being in Rika's pocket for so long.

"Is something wrong with him?" Donald asked, watching the mouse- eared box squeak agitatedly in Sora's hands. Rika's brow furrowed.

"I don't know. He does seem to be squeaking funny doesn't he?"

"Maybe it's because you sat on him." Axel suggested, ducking the blow Rika aimed at his face.

"Shut up Axel."

"We should get out of here before they come to check on us." Sora said, as he tried to prevent Mousie from flying away.

"No." Rika assured. "Kaia and Terra are coming to bail us out."

"Present." A familiar voice came from the other side of the bars. Everyone whirled around and cheered happily. Waving from the other side of the bars was Kaia. Behind her, stood Terra, in a slouched position with his hands in his pockets.

"Where are we Kaia?" Sora asked, feeling a sense of pride rising inside him as Kaia summon her keyblade with ease to unlock the cell.

"We're in the Court of Miracles." Kaia answered, yanking the door open for them. She shook her head at them as they filed out of the cell. "You do realize this is the second time I've had to bail you out of a jail cell?" Rika patted her friend's arm.

"And we thank you very much for that. Now let's move."

"I don't think so." The party whirled around to suddenly find themselves surrounded by skeletons.

"Dang." Rika muttered, summoning her keyblade. Sora, Terra and Kaia followed suit. Axel took out his rounded weapons, Goofy took out his shield and Donald whipped out his staff.

"What do you want?" Sora asked steadily, glaring at the skeletons surrounding them.

"You cannot leave." One of the skeletons stated coldly. "You will betray the secret of the Court of Miracles."

"We're just visitors." Donald stuttered. "Chances are we'll never come back to this world again!"

"Outsiders cannot be trusted to keep the secret of the gypsies." The skeletons said in unison, removing their masks, revealing dark skinned complexions and dark hair.

"Do we fight?" Terra asked Kaia uncertainly.

"No wait. I know Esmeralda!" Kaia yelled at the gypsies. They froze. "She'll vouch for our innocence!"

"Esmeralda is currently imprisoned in Notre Dame thanks to outsiders." One of the skeletons said coolly. Kaia turned to her group.

"I don't know if we have a choice. Just dodge!" She cried, ducking as a skeleton flew at her, attached a rope tied to the rafters. "This way!" She cried, sloshing through the water that came up to their knees. The rest of the team followed, as Kaia expertly navigated through the tunnels. Her many expeditions with Rika had taught her how to memorize hideouts on the way in so that getting out would be a cinch.

"Look! The stairs!" Terra yelled, pointing ahead.

"Hurry!" Sora urged. Kaia was the first one up, followed by Rika, Axel, Sora, Terra, Donald and Goofy. As soon as Goofy flew out the opening, Terra and Axel seized the giant stone tablet and dragged it back into place.

"Run Run RUN!" Sora yelled, as they went sprinting off in the darkness. They heard the stone tablet being thrust off in the distance.

"HURRY!" Kaia screamed, relief washing through her when she saw the Gummi Ship.

"A Gummi Ship!" Terra exclaimed.

"Get on the ship, get on the ship!" Rika ordered, diving through the door, followed by the rest of her companions. Kaia, Rika, Terra, Axel, Donald and Sora held the door as Goofy fled to the control room to start up the ship.

"Now Goofy!" Sora yelled. Finally, the ship rumbled to life, and lifted up from the ground.

"Keep rising!" Rika ordered, over the roar of the engine. "They still might be holding on! Engage in hyper speed Goofy!" The ship stuttered for a moment, before shooting off into the sky.

"Activate door cameras Goofy!" Kaia shouted. The beeps of the buttons could be heard, before Goofy said,

"All systems are go!" Breathing with sighs of relief, the team flopped back from the door.

"Um…guys….there's something you should see." Goofy called from the control room. Curious, everyone filed into the room. On one side of the control room, there was a wall filled with flat screen plasma TVs. They had hooked the signals of the TVs up to the liquids that Rika had successfully installed in the worlds, to notify them when the worlds were in danger. Right now, the liquid was proving its efficiency. Disturbing images of destruction flickered across the various screens. Sora swallowed, before turning to his friends, their faces white from worry and shock.

"We have to find the Kingdom Stone." He choked out

****

"Oh yay! I'm half shark again!" Rika twirled around in the water, light and airy bubbles surrounding her as she spun. The clear blue water surrounded everyone, the sun's rays piercing through the waters surface illuminating them all. They had just arrived in Atlantica. Kaia had said she thought that the Kingdom Stone was underwater, relying on her faint memories to lead them to it. Instead of hunting for the Kingdom Stone, Kaia was momentarily distracted.

"And the dolphins are so awesome." Kaia cheered as she swam towards the dolphins who quickly swam away, leaving Kaia in depression.

"Guys! We need to get IT fast," Sora hinted towards the Kingdom Stone.

"Kaia," Terra said deeply, and who had also turned into a merman with a light blue tail, Axel next to him as well a merman except with a fiery red tail. "Are you sure the kin-.... I mean. Are you sure IT'S here?" Again Terra was referencing 'it' towards the kingdom stone.

"I'm positive." Kaia responded positively.

"But you didn't even have the actual book that had the Kingdom Stone's location with you!" Sora protested swimming forward with his keyblade in his right hand beside him.

"Well Rika drew it out for us." Kaia whined, pointing at Rika who just fought off a jelly fish type heartless.

"She has a good memory...well at times and sketched the picture from that book perfectly! By the picture she drew, it has to be here." Kaia stood by her statement strongly, not faltering despite Terra's and Sora's reluctance to trust Rika's memory capability. Kaia took out a paper which had a neatly sketched picture of the kingdom stone. As Rika was drawing it out she had to pay close attention to the details in the picture that she could remember, revealing in the background a shape of a trident. Their only lead would be towards Atlantica.

"Ummm if I'm wrong it's completely not my fault!" Rika replied nonchalantly.

"How exactly WOULDN'T it be your fault?" Axel pointed out.

"Hey, you shouldn't have listened to me then!" Rika protested.

"Guys, I think she's right so blame it on me if it's that big a deal. Now come on! Atlantica and the rest of the worlds are in trouble!" the group of them swam off towards the direction of the king's castle.

*******

"Blythe, Kaia!" Ariel whispered as loud as she could, cowering behind a pillar at the entrance of the palace. "Sora!" She yelled louder and with lots of enthusiasm, dashing forward and hugging him. Flounder and little crab named Sebastian trailing behind her.

"Ariel what are you doing? It's not safe going out by yourself!" Sora warned.

"But I'm not by myself Sora! I've got Sebastian and Flounder with me!" Arial grabbed Flounder by his fins as they span through the water together, Arial's bright red hair flowing around them. She was laughing and giggling happily, resulting in the group wondering whether was truely anything going on in this world.

"Arial, is there anything going on here? In Atlantica?" Kaia asked, not sure how to explain to Arial she's no longer called Blythe.

"Daddy! He's been acting even worse than usual! He won't let me go out to the surface or anywhere even outside of the palace!" Arial was frightfully angry, everyone noticing if it went on any longer she would obviously rebel against the king and just leave the castle despite her father's orders.

"Oh no you don't Arial!" Sebastian clawed his way infront of Arial and pointed one of his claws at Arial. "You are not leaving the castle!" Sebatian, reading everyone's including Arial's mind stood his ground in front of Arial.

"No! Eric is waiting for me!" Arial started to swim forward however Terra caught her.

"You can't go anywhere alone right now." Terra looked at Arial with a stone cold face, not letting her go.

"Oh, the King is going to be so mad if you leave." Sebastian cried with his claws in front of his face, weeping.

"Arial, where is the king?" Rika asked while glancing around. Arial looked at everyone and sighed.

"Alright, I'll show you." Arial swam forward, followed by everyone else. they entered the castle until the stopped at a door frame, Arial looking aghast at her father facing off against a giant, purple octopus woman.

"WAHAHAHA! Now bow down to me!" The octopus woman boomed while pushing the king down to a kneeling stance with one of her tentacles. Her force increasing slightly every second seeming to be caused by the green mist shrouding her body and growing along with her strength. Everyone stood frozen while staring at the king's fight.

"Daddy!" Arial yelled while swimming forward towards the giant octopus. "Ursula! Let him go!"

"Wait, that octopus thingy is Ursula?"  
Rika whispered to Axel, not wanting to ruin the moment between Ariel and her father.

"You serious?" Axel asked, bewildered by Rika's interruption. Rika in return turned away, Looking back at Ursula, the king and Arial.

"Oh my gosh she's so freaky looking!" Kaia whispered to Rika as they both looked at each other and laughed in grotesque.

"I thought we killed her!" Sora hissed to Donald and Goofy. "TWICE!" Donald and Goofy shrugged hopelessly.

"What? Then why don't you take his place deary!" Ursala wrapped a tentacle around Ariel. Acting quickly, Sora dashed forward in the water smashing his keyblade across Ursula's fin with a large 'clank' noise and a flash of light.

"YOU!" Ursula yelled while pulling back the one tentacle. "Floatsam! Jetsam! And ALL my heartless!! Get that boy!" Kaia swam beside Sora and deflected Flotsam and Jetsam away from him, ready in a fighting stance to fight along side of him. Donald and Goofy approached behind them as well.

"You stupid little fools! You dare defy me?!" She swiftly engulfed Kaia with her tentacle and rose her above everyone else in the water.  
Terra darted forward and attempted to cut Kaia free, Ursula's force rose along with the green essence around her. Her body turned harder then stone and appeared impenetrable.

"Sora~" Rika called. "She's got both Kaia and Terra. What is your plan exactly?" Rika swam up to Sora who looked up at the grotesque Ursula who was smiling evily at no one in particular.

"We fight her until she let's go!" Sora, Donald and finally Goofy swam forward attacking with everything they had.

"Rika, you're not going to help?" Axel grunted, swimming beside her.

"You hate water don't you?" Rika asked squinting her eyes while she tried to read Axel's face.

"No kidding." He shrugged.

"Well, she'll free herself in five seconds." Both Axel and Sora paused for five seconds. A flash of water whirl pooled around Ursula. Sora, Donald and Goofy flew back towards where Rika and Axel were floating. Rika grinning from what she had planned to be correct.  
"Terra!" Kaia yelled as she swam forward with an admirable amount of speed slashing Ursula, Terra on the other side keeping up with her, slashing Ursula on the opposing side.

"Sora!" She yelled as Sora darted forward, pointed his keyblade at Ursula and shot A huge beam towards Ursula. She froEBel and fringed in shock due to the attack.

"It's time for an all out attack!" Rika yelled, supporting everyone from the back, blocking off all the heartless with Axel (despite him not being as much help from his usual flame attacks due to them not working from being under water). Everyone Else darted forward attacking Ursula until her eyes popped open, green crust forming over her body in crystals and finally growing until it covered her whole body. Everyone watched as her eyes got covered and her body broke to shards in the water from the green energy taking control of her body and ending in her ultimate defeat.


	35. A Family Friend

Breathing hard, Kaia straightened up, doing the 'secret' handshake with Rika to celebrate their victory. Donald, Sora and Goofy were somewhat jumping and Terra and Axel looked on, seemingly uncomfortable.

"That was awesome." Sora cheered. Kaia smiled, and swam up towards Ariel, who was sitting at the bottom of the ocean looking stunned.

"Are you okay?" Ariel turned her huge blue eyes to look at her.

"Yeah. Just a bit…winded."

"Can we talk to your father for a minute?" Kaia asked, looking around.

"What is it Kaia?" Terra asked.

"I don't sense the presence of the Kingdom Stone here." She confessed, fingering her crystal around her neck.

"I thought you said it was here!" Sora protested, looking at Rika and Kaia. Kaia shook her head.

"From the sounds of it, it's in water…but…not here. Not in this part of the ocean."

"What if we swim-"

"No Sora. When I say not this ocean, I mean not this world." Sora groaned, and threw his hands in the air- or in this case the water.

"Let's go then. We can't waste anymore time! Chernabog-"

"Chillax for a minute Sora." Kaia interrupted. "Let's ask the King first."

"I don't know if that's a great idea…" Rika said, gliding down to tread water beside Kaia.

"Why?"

"We're supposed to keep the…thing…secret. It's not going to help if we run around and ask if people have seen it or not. Trust yourself Kaia. What do you think?" Kaia took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I don't think it's here." Rika nodded in satisfaction.

"Then it's not here! To the surface!"

"Race you!" Axel challenged, already swimming to the surface

"IDOIT!" Rika screamed, high tailing it after him. Realizing he was in trouble, Axel swam even faster. Even though Axel had the head start, Rika won the race. The rest glided up with regular speed after saying goodbye to Ariel and apologizing for leaving so abruptly, they couldn't assist her with her problem with her father. Kaia had given her the number for her Zetra Phone, confident it would be compatible with phones that were made to function underwater. After their heads broke the surface, they swam towards the Gummi Ship. The ones with tails leaped aboard, ending up in a sprawl on the floor of the Gummi Ship once their normal forms returned. Then, Sora turned around to help Donald and Goofy on board. Goofy assumed control of the Gummi Ship.

"So Kaia, which world is it in?"

"I'm not sure…" Kaia muttered her forehead creased. Her hand subconsciously went to her locket. "There's something we're missing!" She groaned, opening the locket to reveal her parents' faces. She studied them carefully. Her father was kinda geeky looking, with brown hair, a thin body and round glasses. Her mother on the other hand was beautiful, with layered white hair, tanned skin and tattoos covering her body. In fact, Kaia realized that she looked almost exactly like her mother, except for her eyes. Her eyes were a teal blue, while her Mom's were a lighter, stunning blue.

"You think of anything?" Axel asked, leaning against the wall of the control room. Kaia shook her head.

"This tells us nothing!" She snapped, tossing the locket over her shoulder. Terra caught it neatly and pocketed it before she could do further damage.

"Kaia, honestly, I know I'm rarely mean to you, but I think you need it at the moment. Are you stupid?" Rika demanded, shaking Kaia's shoulders.

"I'm not stupid." Kaia snapped, pushing Rika's hands off her shoulders. "You try to locate this unknown planet."

"I can't. This is YOUR home Kaia. You find it." Kaia and Rika stared each other down, each of the glares equally hard. Finally, Kaia relented.

"How?" She asked, but as she asked, she realized the answer. What had Grandmother Willow told her? "Listen to my heart." She whispered so low, no one heard it. Of course, Rika and Sora were engaged in an arm wrestling match, so that could have contributed to the noise. She retreated to the control room and slid the door shut behind her.

"Need some peace and quiet? Hu-yuck!" Goofy asked, sitting up when she entered. Kaia smiled.

"Kinda. Here seemed like the only place I was going to get it." She answered, as a slamming sound came from the other side and Donald protesting loudly.

"Take your time." Goofy said kindly. Kaia nodded and closed her eyes, letting the rare peace and quiet wash over her. She clasped her crystal tightly in her hands, surprised when her mind suddenly shot across the universe, passing various stars and worlds at lightning speed. She turned back and forth, when she finally mentally screeched to a halt by a wall of clouds. She glanced around, feeling a sense of stupidity rise up in her once she caught a glimpse of Pocahontas' world somewhat close by. Of course. They were sister tribes weren't they? Kaia knew she should go back, but the overwhelming curiosity got the better of her. She parted the clouds with her hands, watching with fascination as they dissolved before her fingertips. She continued this until she floated down to touch the bottom of the world. She smiled when she saw a modest city bustling around her. She gazed upwards and saw that she was standing in front of an enormous building. Still, something felt off. There was no one here that looked like her mother, or dressed like both of her parents. Regretfully, Kaia drifted back, realizing that she wouldn't be able to explore further.

"Kaia? Kaia?" Terra's voice cut through her subconscious. Fluttering her eyelids weakly, she managed to choke out,

"Where am I?"

"In the lounge area. You passed out while sitting with Goofy in the control room."

Wincing, Kaia sat up. She rubbed the back of her head.

"You smacked your head." Sora offered helpfully, extending a hand to help her up. Taking it gratefully, Kaia stood, not swaying in the least. She took a deep breath.

"I know where to go now."

****  
"You sure this is it?" Sora asked, as the Gummi Ship approached the mass of clouds. Kaia nodded firmly.

"This is it…or at least…where we start." She answered, watching their way carefully as Goofy drove slowly through the clouds.

"What if we hit a barrier?" Sora asked.

"I doubt we will." Kaia replied, flipping her braid over her shoulder. Sure enough, the Gummi Ship broke through the clouds and landed in a green park.

"Invisibility!" Sora hissed. Goofy turned it on immediately, causing the Gummi Ship to disappear from public view. The seven companions filed out.

"What now?" Terra asked Kaia. Kaia held her hand out.

"Locket." He handed it to her. She turned it over to see the place it was manufactured.

"I'm sad that we don't get to turn into anything cool." Rika complained.

"Not yet at least. Let's ask around, see if we can find anyone named Whitmore."

****  
A few hours later, the group found themselves standing in front of an enormous mansion.

"Do we have the right place?" Sora asked timidly.

"Don't be a doodleloop." Rika taunted. Even though her stomach was about to explode from excitement at the prospect of being so close to someone who knew her parents, Kaia had to turn and smile at Rika's comment.

"Doodleloop? That's a new one." Rika shrugged.

"I've insulted him so much, the old ones are getting boring. I need something new to mock him with." Kaia shook her head at her friend. Even though, during the journey, she had noticed an immeasurable amount of change within Rika, she could still see the old Rika she had befriended so long ago.

"Well…what are we waiting for?" Axel demanded. Nodding, Kaia led the way to the front door, the locket still clasped tightly in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door firmly three times. It immediately creaked open, and a young woman poked her head out.

"May I help you?"

"Um, yeah. I'm here to see Mr. Whitmore?"

"Do you have an appointment?"

"I'm a family friend." Kaia answered, holding up the custom made locket. The maid nodded quickly, and opened the door for the group. They filed in. At once, Kaia was struck by the sheer enormity of the entrance room. It was made of sandstone and was carpeted with scarlet red carpets. The walls were filled of pictures of an old man dressed in various uniforms of authority.

"He's in his study." The woman said, leading them to the elevator. "But be careful. He's old. Very old. Don't give him a heart attack." Kaia nodded to show that they understood. The woman closed the elevator doors, and Donald pressed the button. The elevator started to rise.

"This doesn't seem like a native tribe place." Sora commented, as the grey walls flashed by them in the metal mesh old fashioned elevator.  
"He might know something. This locket is custom made." Kaia argued, holding the silver locket in front of his face. Sora opened his mouth to reply, but the elevator screeched to a halt and the doors opened to reveal a rather large study, lit by a giant fireplace. Over the fireplace was a picture of who was presumably Whitmore, and a traveler, due to the safari hat he wore. In front of the fireplace was large red velvet chair with dark wood framework. Seated in the chair, was an old man hunched over a cane, his face gazing into the dancing flames. Taking a deep breath, Kaia glanced over at her companions.

"You go." Terra whispered. "We'll join you when you ask." Kaia nodded, looking at Rika for confirmation. Rika shot her two thumbs up with a lopsided smile. Grinning, Kaia walked over to the old man, whom she thought was Whitmore.

"Excuse me? Um, Mr. Whitmore?" There came no reply. Embarrassed, Kaia approached him closer, kneeling beside the chair. "Mr. Whitmore?" She asked again, louder and touched his arm. Whitmore jumped, his head snapping back to see who disturbed his moment of brewing. His face morphed into an expression of surprise and shock before pressing a button inside his ear.

"Sorry about that Kida, my hearing aid wasn't on. I'm not like your people…never aging and stuff like that."

"Um, no. Kaia." Kaia corrected him gently. "We- meaning myself and my teammates need your help. Do you know the people in this locket?" She opened the locket gently and put it in his wrinkled hand. Whitmore brought the locket closer to his face, his eyes widening when he saw the people there. He brought the locket back down and looked at her.

"I made this locket for a very good friend of mine. Milo Thatch. His Grandpa was my best friend. He wanted it for his little girl." His bushy eyebrows scrunched suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"Kaia. I think those are my parents in that picture." Whitmore looked up, his mind seeming to wander. He made eye contact with her again.

"Yes. Kaia. That was her name. Beautiful girl. Beautiful eyes." He said softly, lifting her chin up, squinting at her eye colour. "Kaia?" Kaia nodded. The old man leaped up surprisingly nimble for his age and enveloped her into a hug.

****  
The group had gathered around Whitmore's desk in his study. The old man had taken out his crystal, which had been a gift from Kaia's father. Kaia had just filled him in on her rather…adventurous past.

"Are my father and mother still alive?" Kaia asked.

"Last I heard." Whitmore replied. "It's hard to bring down Atlantis, with that big crystal guarding it." The companions glanced at each other.

"Did you say Atlantis?" Kaia said in a hushed voice.

"Magical crystal?" Donald questioned. Whitmore's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Yes Atlantis. Don't you know the name of your own birthplace?" Kaia shook her head.

"I was left on Destiny Islands when I was really young."

"I can't believe Milo and Kida left you on the island by yourself." Whitmore said worriedly, threading his fingers together. "They loved you so much. I haven't heard from Milo since he came upstream to pick up the locket eighteen years ago. When you were just born." Sora could hardly stop the shock that flashed across his face. He just realized that he had no idea how OLD Kaia and Rika were.

"Upstream?"

"Don't you know the legends of Atlantis Kaia?" Whitmore asked sternly.

"I know that it sunk beneath the ocean."

"Exactly. You see, the magic crystal is called the Heart of Atlantis." The name rang bell in Kaia's head.

"The Heart of Atlantis." She turned to her friends. "Also known as the Kingdom Stone!" Sora cheered and highfived Donald and Goofy. He turned to Whitmore.

"We need to get to Atlantis." Whitmore sighed.

"I really wish I could help- especially since it would help Milo and Kida. But to get to Atlantis, you need a sub and a crew- something I don't have anymore in retirement." Rika snorted.

"But we do!"

****

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Axel asked doubtfully as he dodged Rika's random wrench throwing as she and Kaia hacked at the engine of the Gummi Ship. The wrench hit Donald in the face and he fell down unconscious. No one noticed, since Sora and Goofy were re-setting the controls. Terra just didn't seem to care.

"Yup. We just need to water proof the engine, and if dweeb and Goofy set up the controls right, we're going to have a Gummi Sub!" Rika said happily sticking her head out to grab the screwdriver for Kaia. Whitmore watched from the lounge doubtfully.

"I guess it was good for you to get out of Atlantis for a couple years then Kaia…it would be rather handy to know how to turn a space ship into a sub at will." Kaia laughed from her hole in the engine room.

"I owe pretty much everything to Rika. She taught me everything I know." Rika did a mock bow when she came out to get the drill.

"Rika if we just-"

"Move the gas knob here-"

"Then the ship would-"

"Float and sink better-"

"And the engine will be-"

"Waterproof!" Rika finished, doing their handshake.

"Whoa. That was creepy." Axel commented, turning to get a snack out of the fridge. But, he promptly tripped over Donald's unconscious body. "Why you-"

"Just walk around him." Terra said calmly. Muttering curses, Axel walked around

Donald to get to the fridge. Kaia and Rika pulled themselves out of the engine room, their faces smudged with soot.

"It's done. Let's go to Atlantis! Can we have a map old man?" Rika asked Whitmore. Whitmore nodded, producing a plastic protected map.

"It looks like a grease trap in a sink." Kaia commented, looking over Rika's shoulder. Whitmore laughed aloud.

"That's exactly how your father described it!" Rika turned the map over twice before a look of comprehension came over her face.

"I see it!" She laughed. "Hey Sora! You guys done with the controls yet?"

"Yup!" Came the reply.

"Then start her up!" She turned to Mr. Whitmore. "You coming old man?" Mr. Whitmore shook his head regretfully.

"The last time I went to Atlantis was twenty- three years ago. I'm much too old to handle that kind of journey again. But believe me. If I could, I would."  
Everyone nodded, before Terra escorted him out the door, under the chorus of goodbyes. Before he debarked the ship, Kaia ran up to him to give him a quick hug.

"Thank you. For everything." Mr. Whitmore's face softened.

"It's no problem Kaia. Say hi to your Mom and Dad for me."

After careful driving on Sora and Goofy's part, the Gummi Ship immersed itself in the body of water that had been indicated on the map.

"Okay…we just drive for awhile I supposed. We'll take turns so Sora doesn't screw up." Rika announced.

"Hey!" Came Sora's indignant protest. Everyone laughed. Kaia had taken Donald up to his room to sleep off his concussion. She had to go check on him in five minutes. Meanwhile, Rika and Axel went off to the spare room they had created into a training room to practice their moves- since fighting was their forte, they enjoyed doing it. Terra and Kaia sat in the lounge, watching TV.

"We haven't really had time to talk since you picked me up." Terra said suddenly. Kaia turned the volume down.

"It's been busy."

"You've been avoiding me." Terra said, as a matter-of-factly.

"No. Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"You're being paranoid." Kaia snapped, standing up. "I have to go make sure Donald didn't die."

****  
"One…two…three…" Sora counted as the fish swam by their window.

"Gawrsh, it's kinda odd that there's no fish around here." Goofy commented, as Sora's three fish swam away.

"Yeah…there's none on the sonar either." Sora said, checking the bleeping screen. What he saw on there made him double back in panic. "Goofy hit the speakers!" Goofy did so.

"Gawrsh Sora what's-" He was interrupted by a long, groaning roar echoing the cabin. A second later, a monstrous sized lobster came swimming out of a crevice.

"The Leviathan!" Kaia yelled, running into the control cabin.

"You know this thing?"

"I remember my Mom talking about it." She said, hanging onto the walls as the Leviathan hit the side of the Gummi Ship. The beast roared it's masterfully craved head.

"Is it made out of STONE?" Sora yelled. "How do we stop it?"

"We can't!" Kaia yelled. "We have to evade!"


	36. Leviathan

"AHAHA!" Rika burst out laughing as she ran into the control room; everyone staring outside frantically. "Guys this is sweet! Think of the stories we can tell when we defeat this thing!" Rika yelled as she pressed her face against the glass.

"Yeah, like you could beat that thing." Axel retorted as Rika turned around with a death glare.

"What was that?" She threatened giving, eyes narrowing and prepared to fight to the death.

"IF we can defeat that thing." Sora interrupted as a huge black, and hard shelled lobster swam threateningly past the window, and eyeing them viciously. Silence rang through their ears as they desperately attempted to hear or see any sign of the Leviathan.

"It's going to hit us soon." Rika said as she crouched on the ground and pressed her ear to the floor. Her hair rustled past her face silently, as a crash through the Gummi ship out of the direction they were heading. Rika flipped back onto her feet and sprang forward to the controls. She went on all fours and shuffled her way underneath the control panels and disappearing.

"Some time to hide!" Donald yelled furiously, secretly wishing he had done that first.

"Rika did you find it?" Kaia yelled to Rika as she lightly took over Goofy's spot and pressed multiple buttons at an unbelievably quick rate. Buttons were flashing violently as they heard a sliding noise from where Rika had gone. Sora questionably looked under the control panel.

"Hey! Where'd she go? She's gone!" Sora yelled and quickly stood tall looking around frantically.

"NOW!" They heard a muffled voice from somewhere close enough. Kaia pressed another button swiftly, as the whole ship blasted forward at high-speed speed. Everyone was shifted backwards, grabbing onto the nearest thing possible. Goofy grabbed onto Kaia's chair and Donald grabbed onto Goofy. Axel grabbed onto a window ledge on the right side while Terra doing the same thing except on the left.

"BAHAHA!" Everyone could hear Rika having a blast as Kaia began laughing hysterically as well. Donald slipped away from Goofy, everyone except Rika and Kaia who were busy laughing, watched as Donald in slow motion flipped in the air until they heard him 'splat' on the back. He was stuck on the door from the pressure and upside down too.

"Rika! Keep shooting!" Kaia yelled as she regained herself and started steering their Gummi ship expertly. They glided through holes in near by rock formations, turning right, turning left, up down and all around causing everyone to get slightly sick and unsure of how Kaia could possibly see where she was going or how Rika could shoot anything. Nevertheless, they never hit anything and they could hear the gunshots as well as the Leviathan cry in agony from time to time.  
Kaia shot the ship down and the creature crying loudly this time drifted out of control slamming onto the rocks causing big boulders to fall down onto their ship. They quickly charged into a nearby cave and had the exit blocked by a huge nearby rock. The ship dangerously damaged puttered its way through the black and freezing cold water.

"I can't see anything." Sora said as he franticly looked out into the pitch black water.

"If there were fireflies, this would be perfect!" Rika said as she sat on the floor after just coming out from under the control panel. Rika and Kaia glanced at each other and high-fived while congratulating each other on their great attack and defence system against the Leviathan.

"I'm going out to shut that door tightly~" Rika called to Kaia as she ran forward.

"A leak?" Kaia called back as everyone heard a clunk noise as their engine was starting to falter.

"Yeah, but nothing to worry about too much." Rika laughed as she casually dragged Donald back to the ship beside Goofy and Sora and walked back to the door tightening it. The water which was oozing from the door slowly stopped.

"Hey, what's that light?" Terra pointed out further into the cave where a shining blue light was coming from.

"What are you a moth?" Rika teased as she looked down at Donald, thinking of how much bad luck he's had lately.

"Yeah well that light just moved." Axel added as he leaned against the wall as if this all had nothing to do with him.

"I'm turning on the light." Kaia said softly as a bright, white and strong light flooded across the vast opening. Everyone looked in awe as a creature with an antenna with a light at the end looked at them and opened its mouth; revealing rows upon rows of sharp and threatening teeth.

"Turn the light off!" Sora yelled in a panic.

"Turn it off! Turn it off!" Donald continued to yell as Kaia thrusted the throttle forward, knowing she was pushing the limits of the engine.

"Up there." Terra said strongly, pointing upwards at an opening in the water, meaning there was air and land close enough. With a quick enough speed the ship ended up jumping out of the water and onto the land, quickly escaping the scary, oh so scary, fish.  
Everyone else piled out of the ship and walked onto the land looking at the totally wrecked gummi ship.

"We're going to have to leave it." Kaia announced as she walked out of the ship with Terra following.

"Well." Rika said while looking forward. "This is kinda cool." Rika ran forward and looked everywhere at the dark and frail looking cave. Water was dripping from the top of the cave, every noise echoing in the silence and a thin rock bridge that spread everywhere along the huge area in crossed patterns and with a big enough drop to make anyone worried. The area was like a maze of sorts, not sure where one path will lead you from the other.

"Do you think we'll ever get out?" Sora moaned as he followed Rika in a slump.

"Yeah, we're in the right place." Kaia replied as she held her hand in a fist and close to her heart. Everyone piled forward and filed across the bridge, going everywhere we could.

*********

"We've been traveling for DAYS." Sora exaggerated as he carried a stick held in front of him, propping him up as a cane.

"And now we're stuck." Terra announced, finishing Sora's complaint for him. They all looked in front of them at a gap filled with lava. Most of them were sweating from head to toe, unsure of what to do next.

"Blow it up." Rika, Kaia and Axel said in unison.

"How CAN'T you be hot?" Sora complained as he wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, eyeing Rika and Axel enviously.

"We're fire people." Rika and Axel brought out their weapons, shooting an explosion of fire at a nearby pillar, which was obviously man made, creating a bridge for them to cross over onto the other side.

"See, blow it up." Kaia echoed as they filed across the bridge. They glanced forward and walked for what seemed like ages until they finally reached something odd. They could start hearing noises, from people besides themselves…


	37. Wil Adlantisag

"Shh." Kaia hissed, peeking out from behind the boulder, her teal blue eyes searching the grounds. A flash of white hair caught her eye.

"Kaia…they look just like you- complexion wise." Sora whispered.

"Eye colour's different." Rika remarked.

"I'll go out first." Kaia whispered. "I should be able to speak their language." Cautiously, Kaia stood up from behind the boulder, her hands up.

"Look!" One of the men said in Atlantean. Although her companions were confused (except Rika, who caught bits and pieces here and there) Kaia understood him perfectly. It was technically her first language after all.

"*Noi noanoi isa Kaia i oa-asa paolino xaili." Kaia said loudly in Atlantean.

"What's she saying?" Sora hissed. Rika's forehead creased in concentration.

"Not sure. I think I heard the word for name and born in there…" Sora opened his mouth again, but Rika held her hand up to silence him, as the Atlantean people had started to speak.

"**Lioka ati xaili i-i-isa...." Kaia blinked. Why were they looking at her eyes?

"***Iaosati li-ikai ti-i lionoia liosati pali-inosaisasa."

"My parents are Queen Kidaragash and Milo Thatch." .

"The Crystal Princess…it truly is her!" They were muttering in their native language and gazing at the tattoos on her arm.

"She shouldn't be here!"

"It's fine now that we have it under control."

"Come with us princess!" One of the people yelled happily. Two small children ran up to snatch her hands. Kaia beamed. Sora couldn't help it. A huge smile lit up his face as well. To see Kaia finally find her home…it was touching beyond belief. He couldn't help but noticed the similarities as well as the differences. Kaia and the Atlanteans shared the same skin tone, tattoos and hair colour. The differences were, the hair styles. Kaia's was braided back and cut into a neat style that was down to her waist, whilst the Atlanteans' hair style was noticeably layered. And there was the eye colour. Kaia had explained to them earlier that it was probably the result of incomplete dominance with eye colour- brown mixing with blue in a way.

"Wait, I have brought friends with me. If it weren't for them," Kaia looked back at her friends, her eyes sparkling, "I wouldn't be here."

"Come then friends of the Princess!" The group yelled, more people coming to grab their wrists to drag them in the right direction. They crossed a bridge, shouting and cheering, causing civilians to look up and see what the commotion was all about. They listened for barely a second before erupting into cheers, screaming in their native tongue,

"The princess is home! The princess has returned!"

"What are they saying?" Sora whispered to Kaia. Kaia turned her head towards Sora.

"Nothing of any importance." She said quietly.

******  
The group approached the palace still cheering happily. Before they entered, the Atlantean Guard that had escorted them said in flawless English,

"Only the Princess may enter." Sora's jaw dropped.

"Princess?!" Rika smacked her hand over his mouth.

"Of course, we understand." She informed the guard, who gestured for Kaia to go in. Again, before she entered, she turned to face her friends, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Go Kaia! Don't keep them waiting!" Rika said to her, in a common alien tongue they had used often at Arrow. Kaia smiled, and entered the doors.

"Your majesties, Queen Kida and King Milo, a surprise guest has arrived to meet with you." The guard announced. Kaia saw her parents' gaze look up to meet hers. They looked different from the picture in her locket. Her mother was sitting on the loveseat throne. She still looked young, yet the deep grief that seemed to have permanently seared itself in her eyes aged her. Her hair was tucked by in a headband crown, and her periwinkle blue robes flowed around her body where she sat. Her father stood behind her mother, his hands on her shoulders. He too, looked as if he hadn't aged, but his eyes held deep sadness as well.

"Where did you come from?" Her father asked. Kaia looked up to meet their gaze, a sense of panic setting in. What if they hadn't wanted her? Was that why they had given her up?

"Apaopai." Kaia replied, which basically meant 'above' in perfect Atlantean. Her father's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"You speak the language very well."

"Thank you." Kaia replied. Her mother had not said anything, but was studying her quietly. She shook off Milo hands on her shoulders (not unkindly) and came up to her. Her hand reached out and grasped Kaia's arm, pulling it out to see the tattoo that decorated the better part of her arm. She unfisted Kaia's hand and pulled out the silver locket. Kaia had completely forgotten she was still clutching. She heard her father take a quick intake of breath. Finally, her mother's eyes met her own. She saw the shock in there multiply.

"Kaia?" Her mother finally whispered. Too choked to speak, Kaia nodded, tears spilling from her eyes.  
"Kaia!" Her father shouted, running from the throne platform. He wrapped his wife and Kaia in a tight hug. "I'm so happy your safe. And that you remembered us."

"I forgot for awhile." Kaia whispered, sinking into her father's embrace. "But I remember now."

****  
Later, Kaia and her companions were seated around the royal table, 'enjoying' some food that would not stop wriggling.

"It's a beautiful city you have here." Sora commented, glancing around at the view the dining hall provided.

"Thank you." Kida replied. "I want to thank you all for bringing our daughter back to us. You have no idea what this means to Milo and I."

"Gawrsh it was no problem." Goofy said, trying to prevent his food from running away. Kaia laughed, and glanced at each of her teammates. They had all been fitted with

atlantean clothes, while their regular ones were washed. But, no one minded. They actually seemed fascinated with the complex workmanship of the clothes.

"So. What brings you to our humble city?" Kida asked.

"The Heart of Atlantis." Kaia answered. "We believe that it is the larger source of a magical object called the Kingdom Stone." Kida's face immediately blanched and Milo's hardened.

"No. Absolutely not." He snapped.

"But-"

"No. I'm sorry, but the _Matag Yob _is too dangerous to go near."

"We can handle danger." Axel protested.

"And there's seven of us, and four of us are keyblade users. I'm pretty sure that the Heart Atlantis will hurt us." Terra chimed in. Rika remained silent, her hazel eyes studying the King and the Queen.

"Mother, Father, I-"

"Especially not you Kaia." Kida said softly, grasping her daughter's hand in her own. "I can't bear to lose you again." Kaia withdrew her hand, her face stony.

"Then why did you give me up fourteen years ago?" She asked quietly, standing up. Not listening to her mother and father's protests, she left the table and sprang up on a nearby vine covered boulder and climbed out of sight. Kida started after her, but Rika finally spoke up.

"Let her go." Kida sagged.

"I haven't even had her back for three hours and I've already upset her."  
"Kaia has issues with bonding with people. Loving people." Rika replied, swallowing her tentacle fish.

"Why?" Milo asked, grasping his wife's hand in his own when she dropped back down on the pillow.

"I guess she was abandoned a lot. First by you guys, and then by Terra here." Rika said, popping a grape- like ration in her mouth. "It gave her commitment issues. She might have a bit of resentment towards you guys unless you tell her the truth."

"But we-"

"Look. You have to tell her. I can tell you're not telling her everything. Why don't you tell us?" Rika suggested, stretching out on her pillow. Kida and Milo sighed, glancing at each other.

"Kaia was born…with a few complications." Kida began.

"What do you mean by complications?" Donald asked. Rika shot him a dirty look before gesturing at Milo and Kida to continue.

"You see, Kida was taken by the Heart of Atlantis, or the _Matag Yob _when we first met." Milo said.

"Wait wait wait…taken?!" Axel demanded.

"The Heart of Atlantis is a power source. When it needs an extra boost, it takes a sacrifice of royal blood to protect the city."

"Why not destroy it?" Terra asked, leaning back from the table.

"It cannot be destroyed." Kida said fiercely. "It is impossible. Not to mention it is the life force of our people. We destroy the crystal. We destroy our existence, which is why it's called _Matag Yob_- which means 'Mother Crystal in your tongue."

"How does this affect Kaia?" Terra demanded.

"I was taken over twenty years ago." Kida said, earning shocked glances from the group. Kida didn't look a day over eighteen and Milo didn't look a day over twenty- five.

"Due to the crystals and the Heart of Atlantis, we don't age." Milo quickly explained.

Even though the companions' faces stayed incredulous, they nodded in understanding. It would explain why Kaia looked so young for her age. Kida nodded, and continued her tale.

"Since I was exposed to the crystal, and survived, I must have carried something over to Kaia." She whispered, grief evident in her voice. "When she was born, she was extremely ill. As if she held something that her body wasn't able to handle. Everyone told me that since I was a first time mother, it was normal for me to feel that something was always wrong with my baby. But as she passed through her first year, she grew sicker. She had never cried and she just seemed so…limp and lifeless. She also had always had a cough that refused to go away. And, I knew for a fact something was different about her, but I couldn't put my finger on it. So, we took her to the shaman. He tried everything to heal her. But, none of it worked. He put his hand on her heart and said to us 'your child contains great power. A power that her human body can't handle. The only way to save her is to go to the Heart of Atlantis and ask if it will save her, for the power is the Heart of Atlantis that slowly kills her.' We were desperate to save her, so we took her to the _Matag Yob._ I remember feeling so helpless as it took my baby away. After an hour, it finally gave her back to us. Her eyes were glowing. The last time I remember seeing eyes glow like that, was when my own mother was taken by the crystal before we sunk beneath the ocean. But, I forgot about that once Kaia started to cry for the first time."

"Whoa. How old are you?" Sora demanded.

"Over eight thousand years old." Kida said, making this sound perfectly normal. Which in a way, it was. The majority of Atlanteans were well over five thousand years old. Sora turned to Milo.

"How old are you?"

"Forty eight." Milo smiled humorously. Sora looked baffled.

"Wha-"

"Just ignore him." Rika said brightly. Kida nodded, before continuing.

"Then, the crystal that was hovering above the city started to glow and pulse. The shaman, who had come with us, looked terrified, before grasping both our hands in his own. He said, that my exposure to the crystal caused the crystal to automatically choose our daughter as its next sacrifice, and in a way, pass on the power of the _Matag Yob-_ which is not meant for a human body." The entire group gasped.

"Imagine what it's like…to hear that your daughter is doomed to die." Milo said sadly.  
"But the shaman said that unless our city was in danger, that her life would not be needed to protect it. Since the Shepherd's Journal was the only map to our city, we thought that Kaia would be safe. So we took her back home, gave her the tattoos that the shaman said would control her powers and…minimize them, as well as help her in the future if the crystal did decide to take a life."

"How?"

"He never said." Kida said, shrugging. "But it did help her. She became more normal- not that she wasn't normal to start with, but the feeling that I had went away. The next three years were perfect- until that man came." Sora stiffened.

"What man?"

"He introduced himself as Ansem. He came to hopefully be the founder of Atlantis and find the power source. But, I told him he had to leave. With Kaia's…condition, I was paranoid to have anyone intrude the city from outside Atlantis. He became furious, but accepted the verdict we set out for him. Later that night, the sky turned red and pulsing. Milo and I ran to look out the window and saw the crystal, hovering just a couple feet above the city. It had its searchlights going and with a feeling of dread, I knew what it was looking for." Kida's voice grew bitter. "We went to find Kaia, but found that she wasn't in her bed. Panicking, we looked out the window again, and saw that the crystal had frozen. And our daughter was standing in one of its searchlights. We screamed for help and fled out the window. Once we left the palace to save her, we came out to see the body of a man lying in the street, his body charred. Kaia was lying near him. After Milo verified that the man was dead, we went to check on Kaia. She was alive. We quickly picked her up, and the searchlights began again. They scanned the city. Knowing that Milo and I were the only ones in the city that could possibly gain enough control over it, so we had to entrust Kaia to Siphon, a trusted guard. He took Milo's mini-sub and brought her up to the surface. We thought that if she remained above the surface, she would be safe. And we were right. As soon as she broke the surface, the crystal stopped its rampage. Luckily, no one else was hurt. Siphon returned two days later. It was then we saw that the Heart of Atlantis seemed to be missing a piece, which caused it to seek out its source of regeneration- Kaia. Somehow, that Ansem man took a piece of the crystal. We had to put it underground, because it caused more harm then good after that. It has not reacted since Kaia arrived. So as long as the crystal doesn't 'see' her, she should stay safe." Kida finished. Everyone just stared, their mouths open in shock. Even Rika's.

"So…she's in danger." Terra said quietly.

"We have to find her! What if she finds it?" Sora said, jumping up with a panicked expression on his face.

"Relax. We hid it well. But if she finds it- _Matag Yob_ will take her. And if Matag Yob takes her, it will be complete."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Rika asked suspiciously.

"It would be a good thing for your quest. But, I will not allow it. Not at the cost of my daughter." Milo said firmly. But the six friends thought the same thing. They wouldn't be able to use the power source unless they completed it.

"But you were freed!" Sora protested.

"The Matag Yob was completed and I was bound to it for a short time." Kida answered.

"Kaia would never be able to come back."

"We need that Kingdom Stone though." Axel muttered. Rika stood up, her face emotionless.

"Let's ask Kaia what she wants to do. Kida, Milo, you should tell her the story."

***

Atlantean Translations:

*My name is Kaia. I think I was born here.

** Look at her eyes

***It's the long lost princess


	38. Taken

"Kaia, what do you want to do?" Sora asked as Kaia finished talking with her parents. Kida had her arms crossed with Milo's hands on each of her shoulders in support. both of them were waiting to hear Kaia's answer.

"What do you mean what do I want to do? We have to get the kingdom stone." Kaia eyed everyone seriously as they looked back at her with worry.

"Alright let's go then." Rika stretched, and got up to leave.

"Wait!" Sora yelled. "It's too dangerous Kaia! Are you absolutely sure you want to go?" He demanded, reluctantly staring at Kaia. Terra standing next to him, nodded emphatically in agreement. It looked as if everyone was ready to beg her not to go.

"Guys!" Kaia yelled furiously. She didn't like everyone wanting to leave her out. Rika started to burst out into a ramble, yelling a language only spoken by Kaia and Rika. It seemed like she was swearing, flaunting around her arms everywhere with a maddening expression.

"Kaia, even if it finds you then whatever! You can't be beaten by that thing, you're too strong and we all won't let you get taken by it! And don't go worrying about us; we can take care of ourselves." Rika went to face Kaia, the two of them conversing in the same language.

"Thanks for worrying about me everyone." Kaia said in English. Everyone was smiling, albeit in defeat, knowing the sentence to come next.

"But this is something that I have to do, and I need the support of everyone." Kaia said, her voice abruptly taking on a serious tone. Everyone sighed and decided to fight with her.

"Thanks for getting mad at them for me Rika." Kaia added softly in the other language. Rika smiled back at her while they started to walk out of the building.

"Hey, has anyone thought of instructions for this kingdom stone yet?" Axel taunted as he came running out of the building while waving a map in his hand.

"Oh, a treasure hunt?" Rika inquired in an oddly relaxed yet excited way. Kaia rolled her eyes. Rika could never resist treasure.

"Ahh, I guess we should have a map." Sora laughed awkwardly, not sure if laughing was the correct thing to do in this situation.

"Huh huh huh ha!" Goofy laughed as well. "Garwsh Sora, how long have we been doing this and we still forgot a map?" Goofy added, proud of himself; though Sora and the rest had no idea why.

"I didn't forget it!" Donald refused, resulting in Goofy and Sora to laugh at Donald's usual stubbornness.

"What?" Donald replied in a fuss.

"Hey guys this is a rather short map." Axel said as he flipped it in every direction trying to find the right direction.

"Give me that." Rika sighed as she reached for the map.

"I don't think so." Axel teased as he raised the map as high as he could, using his height to keep it away from Rika. Rika paused, swiftly kicking Axel in the shin. Axel doubled over in pain as Rika quickly took the map from him.

"Kaia, you should lead us. You know this place better then we do." Rika placed the map in Kaia's hands as Kaia started walking off straight away as everyone quickly followed.

Kaia lead them all to some ruins, vines climbing over broken stone slabs and water flowing over certain part.

"Does this bring back memories Kaia?" Rika asked as Kaia stopped to look around thoughtfully.

"Yeah. I'm happy to be back." Rika frowned as she looked around. The city really had no layout itself. Not to mention the fact that Kaia was about to be taken away from her home again.

"Where's the stone supposed to be? They said underground right?"  
Kaia nodded as she continued running forward until they crossed a little bridge. They came upon a large, circular stone that had scriptures written all across it. Every word and line crisscrossed until it reached the center where an indent laid. Water was booming from outside the circle they were on, it was falling from the rocks above and falling all around the huge circle. It created a slight fog around the rims.

"Kaia, try pitting your gem in there." Rika pointed to the center where an indent lied, it was in the shape of her stone. Kaia nodded while swallowing loudly. Everyone crowded around until Kaia gently bent forward and placed her stone in. Everything shook violently, rocks falling, the etchings in the rock soon engulfed by the bright blue of her gem. The rocks started to fall apart as everyone quickly started to fall into the never ending darkness as the ground had disappeared from underneath them.

Everyone started to scramble and scream, while Kaia and Rika (yet again having a blast) laughed as they fell down into the darkness.

"Are you guys ever sane?" Axel yelled as he was falling and trying to get into a fairly good position to land in once they hit the floor.

"No, they really aren't" Terra yelled back, bracing himself for the impact.

"Are we going to die?!" Sora yelled as Rika and Kaia's laughter grew even crazier.

"Considering how long we've been falling perhaps!" Terra screamed. Axel pulled out his weapons and shot a fire blast towards the ground. They had about five seconds until they hit the rocky ground.

"Why couldn't there have been water down there?" Sora whined as he grabbed onto Goofy and Donald grabbed onto them. He knew this was going to hurt.

"Rika!" Axel yelled as Kaia and Rika stopped laughing. Just a millisecond before they hit the ground an uprising wind assisted their fall. Rika put away her keyblade after they had landed, as well as made the wind cease since they no longer needed it.

"Rika you were cutting that kind of close weren't you?" Terra demanded as Kaia and Rika high fiver on the fun they were having.

"Yeah it was a tad close, but more fun right?" Rika added with a smile, her hair and everyone else's wild as could be. Sora shoved Goofy and Donald off of them, as they were now safe then brushed himself off and straightened himself up along with Donald and Goofy.

"I can't see anything." Sora added as no one could see even the tips of their noses.

"Kaia, it's time to shine." Rika teased as Kaia had already pulled out her beautiful blue stone and it lit the way for everyone.

"Alright! Now that we can see, where do we go next?" Rika asked excitedly.

"That's where it stops." Kaia added in shock as she looked up at Rika with worry written all over her face. "And even worse then that, since I used my stone won't the kingdom stone know I'm here?" Kaia looked up at everyone this time. They all looked around in a panic as if they were expecting to see something right then and there.

"We better hurry." Goofy announced as everyone started walking, following a blue stream that was on there right.

Kaia led the way, using her crystal to light their way through the darkness.

"Scared?" Rika asked quietly in an alien tongue. They had been communicating more and more with different languages so that they could talk more in private.

"I would be lying if I said no." Kaia said, but didn't elaborate. She had complained long enough. The truth was, was that she felt like this was something she had to do. It was her destiny. How could anyone not face that? She was just relieved that she found it.

"You'll come back. I'll make sure of it." Rika told her. Kaia smiled, but didn't reply, as a blue pulsing light lit the exit of the cave ahead. Kaia dropped her crystal, so that it hung limply around her neck.

"Kaia, if you don't want to do this-" Terra began, but Kaia silenced him.

"Terra, just don't. Don't make this any harder." Sora sniffed loudly, realizing that Kaia's departure was very real.

"Kaia, I-" He said, his words scrambling over each other. Kaia surprised him by giving him a hug.

"Thanks for everything Sora. You've truly been a friend to me during all this. Thank you. So much." She reached over to Donald and Goofy to pull them in. "Thank you guys." Donald began to sob and Goofy and Sora sniffed loudly, their eyes shining. Kaia turned to Terra.

"Kaia please. I- I just found you again, I-"

"Terra, I know. I'm just sorry we didn't get more time together, to get to know each other better. I'm sorry I pushed you away. I guess I didn't get over the hurt I felt all those years ago."

"Kaia, if I could I would-"

"Turn back the clock? I wouldn't. If we turned back the clock Terra, I wouldn't have met Rika, or Sora, Donald, Goofy and Axel. I would have never found my parents, and I would have met the friends I made on this journey between the worlds. I'm glad my life went this way. I have no regrets, which is part of the reason why this decision came so easily to me." Kaia turned away. The truth was, that the decision had not come easily to her at all.

"Kaia, I-" Terra threw his hands up uselessly. Kaia pulled him into a hug.

"I know. Move on Terra. I'll miss you." She turned to Axel, who just wordlessly opened his arms. Kaia smiled, and stepped into the hug.

"It's going to be tough dealing with Rika without you around." He said quietly. Kaia nodded.

"Take care of her. Please?" Axel nodded, and Kaia stepped back from him before turning to Rika. Her eyes were fierce.

"I don't know why you're saying your goodbyes. I'm not letting you die in that crystal."

"Rik, just face it for a minute. My parents said that I probably wouldn't come back. I'm fine with that."

"You shouldn't be you idiot! How can you just give up so easily! I thought you knew better then that!" Rika yelled.

"Rika, you're my best friend. You know me better then anyone. You know I would take the alternate route if this wasn't something I needed to do." Rika stood her ground.

"I'm not saying goodbye. I'll figure out a way to get you out of there even if it's the last thing I ever do." Kaia smiled.

"If anyone is going to, you will. Thanks Rika." With that, Kaia turned and peeked into the opening of the room of the cave. She saw a ball of red light spreading searchlights everywhere. A chill ran up her spine. It knew she was here. She turned back to her friends, needing to see their faces one last time before she stepped into the room. Sora's eyes were sad, Goofy was sniffing and holding his hat to his chest. Donald was also holding his hat towards his chest. Terra had his arms crossed, and Axel was holding Rika's shoulders in support. But Rika just looked angry. Good old Rika. Kaia turned and walked into the cave. The searchlight immediately found her. Suddenly, images flashed across her eyes. Her grandmother, who she instinctively identified was standing in the light, beckoning to her. Off to the side were the Kings of the Past. Her grandfather. As she fell under its spell, all she could see was the explosion of light. She didn't even realize the light had turned blue. Her crystal, as if pulled by a magnetic force rose up to meet the searchlight that was guiding her. She lost all senses. The only thing that mattered to her was to see who was in that light. Closer and closer she walked, the water rippling beneath her feet, her loose hair cascading down her back as she walked. For the first time, she belonged, she thought dazedly as she finally stopped under the crystal. The light contracted, and everything went black.

****

"KAIA!" Sora yelled, jumping forward.

"Sora, are you dumb? Don't!" Donald shouted yanking him back. "Remember what happened to the last guy that saved her?" Sora shook his head in despair. They were losing a member to their team. Didn't anyone care?

"Why are you guys just standing there?!" He demanded.

"What other choice do we have?" Terra asked quietly. "It was her decision. And there's nothing we can do now." His voice broke, as his eyes followed Kaia's limp body become completely emerged inside the crystal. The crystal spun until the stones surrounding it were a blur. It rose up until it broke the surface of the cave.

"We have to get back up there!" Sora hollering, hightailing it back into the cave.

"Sora wait! We can't get back up that way in time!" Rika said, standing in the same spot. He rounded on her furious.

"Then what's your suggestion?" He demanded furiously. Rika smirked, before the wall behind her exploded.

"AH!" They screamed, shielding their eyes from the rubble. Once it cleared, four huge dragons stood behind Rika. There was a green one, a blue one, a black one and a red one. Rika smiled joyously.

"Okay guys, here's some facts about dragons. They come when they're called, no matter where you are. And, when one of us is in danger, they grow up to be fully mature dragons." She said, stroking the black one's head. "The black one's Eclipse, the red one's Flair, the green one's Dudley and the blue one is Crusoe." She jumped lithely on Eclipse's back. Sora clambered on Crusoe, Donald and Goofy shared Dudley, and Axel and Terra shared Flair. Rika pressed a few buttons on her Zetra Phone.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, desperately trying to find a place to hold on to Crusoe.

"We got the bigger part of the Kingdom Stone just in time." Rika said, expanding the screen to show everyone. "All the worlds are under attack." She pocketed the phone and turned to face straight ahead.

"This is it guys." Sora said, pumping his fist in the air.

"Let's end this! For good!" Rika shouted. The dragons let out a might roar as they shot towards the sky. After Kaia.

Who knew? If they got the lost piece of the Kingdom Stone back, there could still be hope for Kaia.


	39. Approching Danger

"But how exactly do we control the Kingdom stone?" Sora yelled over a high pitched screeching noise that was apparently coming from the Kingdom Stone.

"Only one way to find out!" Rika smiled and ran forward tossing a piece of rope which she was carrying on her belt, back at Sora who clumsily caught it.

"Wait! Rika!" Sora yelled as he winced from the high pitched frequency which was starting to affect everyone's head. It was so powerful the air itself seemed to be harder to breathe, as well as a wind or pressure of some sort to push them away from the Kingdom Stone. Sora clung onto the rope with as much strength as he could collect. Rika sprang up to the Kingdom Stone where Kaia was entrapped. Kaia continued to lie limp in the midst of the Kingdom Stone, Rika lined herself up to Kaia's eye level. Rika managed to grasp the stone with one hand as the other formed the keyblade in its grasp. She quickly tied a knot to the end of it and then formed her keyblade into the shape of a sword once again and pierced the Kingdom Stone in line perfectly with the stone on Kaia's neckace. The Kingdom Stone's light shined brighter then anyone else could have imagined, the wind hurling itself everywhere and sent Rika flying off of it. The stone started to crack, slowly, until it regenerated and the keyblade suddenly covered with the stone.

"Rika your keyblade!" Sora yelled as he kept hanging onto the rope, the wind attempting to pull him away like everyone else however the rope was tied tightly to the keyblade. Sora wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "Now what?!" Sora yelled past the wind as he was trying to spit his hair out from his mouth. Rika barely managed to inch her way back at Sora with her strength. The rest were far from Sora and Rika, the wind to fierce for them to face.

"Rika!" Sora yelled as his fingers started slipping away from the force of the wind. Rika finally caught up to Sora. She went behind him and put her hands out in front of them both, with a blast of wind she created a barrier, reflecting the Kingdom Stone's wind with her own. Sora quickly regained his grasp in the mean time, as Rika continued to use her energy in countering the wind in their specific area.

"Sora…" Rika gasped. "I've got a hypothesis. It doesn't truly matter if it's right or not but hey…" Rika paused and took a breath. "Let's give it a try!" Rika added with a forced smile, due to the unbelievably exhausting situation she was in.

"So what is it?" Sora yelled over all the noise.

"Well, I'm going to take the keyblade out of there." Rika took a deep breath. "And at that moment," Sora looked back at Rika through the corner of his big blue eyes, "I want you to lock this world." Rika yelled.

"But how do you know that's the keyhole?" Sora yelled but then stopped and shook his head. At the moment of mentioning it being a possible keyhole to the world, he could feel his key blade act up which explained it being summoned in his right hand. Sora looked up at Kaia and understood, he'd point the keyblade at the hole where Kaia's necklace was. That necklace was the keyhole to that world.

"And if that works, I'm betting Kaia will wake up, and find her way out of there." Rika yelled as she slowly moved one hand away from the wind and stretched it out to her side. Unsteadily she kept the wind at bay from Sora and quickly summoned the keyblade to her had, quickly bringing it back forward to assist the other hand in repelling the wind. Sora closed his eyes and pointed his keyblade at the stone where the hole was, it had already started regenerating. Sora quickly tapped his keyblade in the air, a bright yellow light flooding from the tip and shooting directly at Kaia's stone necklace. Sparkles flew from the impact of the light and the necklace, glittering slowly to the ground. Everything had paused; everything was finally silent except a loud click noise, signalling the world had been locked.

"KAIA!" Rika started as Sora, Terra, Donald and Goofy joined in hoping for her to wake up.  
Kaia's eyes popped open, her unusual, glowing eyes looking directly at them all. The stone slowly started to descend towards the ground, gently letting Kaia go from its grasp yet keeping the necklace she once wore with it.  
Kaia stood there, her eyes hair and markings glowing with a blue essence surrounding her. Her hair was glowing white as it fluttered around her face despite the wind having already ceased. The Kingdom Stone continued to glow next to her; they finally had it in their grasp.

"Maleficent is coming." Kaia said in her foreign tongue, her face still emotionless and her eyes glazed over with the same glow that enveloped her body. All anyone could understand was the word 'Maleficent', however that was good enough to understand the overall message.

Danger was approaching.


	40. Tick Tock

Rika whistled for her Dragon, Eclipse. Like a swift shadow he came swooping down and with a blink of an eye Rika was already up in the bright blue sky with him.

"Rika!" Sora yelled taking a look back at Kaia, making sure she was really alive, and not toppling over dead at any given moment.

"Terra, Goofy you guys look after Kaia!" Rika yelled as Flair, the red dragon, landed softly on the ground next to Axel. "The rest of you come on!" Rika yelled as she already took off to some other place- to where no one knew quite yet. Sora, Donald and Axel quickly squished onto Flair as they too took off after Kaia, leaving Kaia to the rest, to be taken care of.

****

"Rika!" Sora yelled, Axel nearly falling off due to him anxiously wanting to go help her out. Eclipse had already taken off leaving Rika standing in front of Maleficent with her keyblade out. Beside Maleficent was her 'trusted' assistant Pete and Captain Hook. As Flair inched forward they all saw Rika charge up to Captain Hook with a look of pure hatred written across her face. Maleficent laughed so hard that even Sora, Axel and Donald could hear despite them being high above them. With a wave of her staff the green smoke covered her and with a puff of it she was gone. Rika attempted a strike at Captain Hook, however with a remark she stopped with in inches of his face. Him smirking, Pete standing off and laughing as his belly jiggled Rika looked up and signaled Flair to just circle around in the air.

"Rika!" Sora yelled again though this time in fury as Flair continued to circle around in the air.  
Rika looked back at Captain Hook, his sword out and suddenly pointed at her throat. Sora and the rest could see him chatting to her with a smug look. Rika grinned evilly, drew out her keyblade again, slowly it turned black with spikes of a deep red being painted on top of the black. Captain Hook looked at the keyblade as it changed shape into a long black and deep red spear. His face first looked appalled however quickly drew back to an insane laugh. He raised his arm with the green smoke emerging. Once it disappeared all it left behind was Wendy's brothers and the Lost Boy's behind him. Their forms still their however tinted in a shadow like black, glowing green eyes and a green heart symbol on all of their foreheads. Sora's eyes widened while identifying them.

"Rika! Rika those are Wendy's friends don't hurt them!" Sora yelled at the top of his lungs, unsure of whether Rika had heard him or not. Rika looked up at him as she was charging ahead and quickly shot a black lightning bolt up at him, missing him by inches. They lightning bolt exploded in the air, leaving behind red particles forming the words:  
'I know moron!' and then a smiley face symbol that was sticking out its tongue. Sora smiled meekly however quickly taken over by anger again that she wouldn't let them help.  
Rika pointed her key blade up forward, slowly drifted it up with a black glow showing the keyblade's motion. All the children suddenly froze in their tracks, for they were preparing to attack Rika themselves. The same dark red that was on Rika's keyblade rose up and surrounded the kid's like an ivy. It wrapped itself around them as they stood there frozen solid. Captain Hook looked behind himself in fright, then looked back at Rika who plunged forward at Captain Hook, aching to smack him at least once for capturing those poor children.

"Rika behind you!" Axel yelled as he jumped of Flair along with Sora and Donald who had covered his eyes, afraid of the impact of the drop. Rika was literally a centimeter away from punching Captain Hook's face as Pete had wacked Rika on the head from behind, then kicking her to the ground. Sora sprinted up to Pete and Captain Hook. Within moments Sora and Captain Hook was in a heated battle with one another, Sora's keyblade clashing against Captain Hook's sword. Sora parrying, and striking back Captain Hook suddenly flying through the air as well, the green smoke around him was thickening, the trapped children slowly starting to break away from Rika's vines. Axel was busy taking care of Pete, within moments Pete had surrendered though Axel knew better and tied Pete with the rope Rika still carried with her. Donald was beside Rika using his spells to assist everyone, healing her, giving Sora a defense boost and casting time stop on Pete.

"You'll never win now!" Captain Hook bellowed as he flew in the air and with the final increase of power the children broke free and engulfed Sora, his hand raised in the air slowly disappeared into the group of shadow children.  
A loud growl filled the air as everyone who wasn't busy fighting or knocked out looked up in the air. Kaia's dragon, the green large one named Dudley dove forward with a furious rate at Captain Hook who barely managed to dodge it. His eye's buldged open as he looked at the huge green dragon.  
Dudley stopped by Sora, and swept all the children off of Sora with his mighty strength.

"I-it's like that alligator!" Captain Hook stumbled in fright. "A-at least there's no clock." He added trying to reassure himself that there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock" Sora grinned, swiping a trail of blood from his mouth, Dudley turned to face Captain Hook and darted forward once again, this time eating Captain Hook in one gulp. Sora looked foraward in awe that the dragon actually ate Captain Hook. After a large burp and picking up Pete from the ground, Dudley flew away happily. Sora, Axel and Donald looked at where Dudley once was in fright. They had no idea that Rika's and Kaia's dragons were so viscious.

"I-I didn't think he would actually eat him." Sora said in a stutter. Axel nodded in a blank shock.

"You don't suppose he'll eat Pete?" Donald asked while gulping. "Or more importantly come back for duck." Donald cried in fear. Rika slowly rose from the ground and started rubbing her head.

"Shit, I wish I wasn't so careless." She looked forward at the boys who were collapsed on the ground, already turned back to their normal appearance except unconscious.

"We should get them back." Sora stated as he went to get the kids to wake up, trying to forget the whole Dudley situation. Axel and Donald helped Rika up, following Sora in the attempt to forget Dudley eating Captain Hook.

"I hate Captain Hook now." Rika mumbled, "I can't say that I don't think he deserved to be eaten by Dudley." She continued to mumble as everyone looked at her in shock that she was awake then even.

"Were you ever knocked out?" Axel asked in aghast.

"Of course, but Dudley has a thing for eating people I or Kaia dislike. His roar woke me up." Donald swallowed again and walked steadily towards Sora and away from Rika.

"Don't worry, he only eats people if we're threatened." Rika added with a laugh. "Don't think we haven't tried to stop him from eating people though." Rika sighed and then picked up a kid, whistling again for Eclipse and Flair to come and help them up.

"To town?" Axel asked as he hopped onto Flair, keeping the children steady on Flair's

back as she flew off to where the civilians were.

"Yeah." Rika said, as Flair acknowledged her destination and set off, soon followed by Eclipse and Sora with the rest of the boys. Donald and Rika waited for when the dragons came back, and then took off to join Sora, Axel, Goofy and Kaia.


End file.
